Policy & regulation
FTC Green Guides (US)
The US Federal Trade Commission's guidance on environmental marketing claims, first issued in 1992, which defines how terms like "recyclable", "compostable", and carbon-offset claims can be used without deceiving consumers.
Definition
The FTC Green Guides are administrative guidance issued by the US Federal Trade Commission, codified at 16 CFR Part 260, that explains how the agency applies consumer-protection law to environmental marketing claims. First issued in 1992 and revised in 1996, 1998, and 2012, the Guides cover claims such as general environmental benefit, degradability, recyclability, and — at section 260.5 — carbon offsets.
References
codified text and scope
history and status
Overview
What it means
The Guides are not regulations but describe the FTC's enforcement approach: claims must be truthful, substantiated, and not misleading, and unqualified general claims such as "eco-friendly" are treated as nearly impossible to substantiate. Marketers use them to design compliant claims; the FTC cites them in enforcement actions against greenwashing.
How it is used
US companies, lawyers, and state regulators treat the Guides as the reference standard for environmental marketing; they also influence state-level rules and self-regulatory review of advertising.
Why it matters
The Guides are the anchor of US greenwashing enforcement and a reference point internationally, shaping how environmental claims are made and policed in the world's largest consumer market. **Note:** A further revision process has been pending for several years; the 2012 version remains the operative text as of the date checked.
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