Advertising & Environmental Sustainability

For many, Earth Day is every day as they strive to live daily life being consciousness of the environment.  That’s especially true for the many small businesses that make it their mission to create natural, environmentally sustainable products, such as cleaning, food, hair, and beauty products.  It’s important, however, not to use false and misleading advertising when marketing your environmentally friendly products.  You do not want to overstate features of your product, such as organic, made from 100% recycled material, or 100% biodegradable if it is not in-fact those things.  There are federal and state laws that regulate false and misleading advertising, and violations could result in hefty fines.  For instance, violation of the D.C. Deceptive Trade Practices Act can cost you up to $1000.00 per violation.

There are ways to tout your products attributes without misleading consumers.  One way to make those environmentally products stand out, and certify your products environmentally friendly attributes is with “eco labeling.”  An eco label is a symbol that manufacturers can put on products they sell to demonstrate that they are better for the environment than similar products without the label. The number of eco-label programs has grown from a mere dozen worldwide in the 1990s to more than 400 today.

The federal government has eco-labeling and certification programs that small businesses can utilize, such as USDA Organic certification which verifies that your farm or handling facility complies with the USDA organic regulations and allows you to sell, label, and represent your products as organic or Design for the Environment, a label which means that Environmental Protection Agency scientists have evaluated every ingredient in the product to ensure it meets stringent criteria.  There are also a variety of non-governmental programs you can use to certify your products such as FairTrade Certified for agriculture or food products or GreenSeal, a label used for a variety of products.  Eco-labeling sends a clear signal to your customers about your product and the benefits they provide for the environment.  For more information, check out the SBA’s Green Business Guide: https://www.sba.gov/green-business-guide.

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