FTC Cracks Down on Manufacturer Greenwashing

An important announcement yesterday from the Federal Trade Commission marked a major accomplishment in the fight against greenwashing. At OMI, it is our goal always to offer the purest products available, and it is great to see that fraudulent greenwashing claims are being prosecuted by our governmental agencies charged with protecting consumers. This will help consumers determine what is truly organic and healthy and what is just marketing hype. The FTC has brought actions against manufactures and/or retailers for the following false assurances:

• Claiming products do not contain formaldehyde, toluene, or phenols in their latex mattresses
• Claiming their rubber is “chemical free”
• Claiming that their mattresses contain no toxic substances
• Claiming that their mattresses contain fewer contaminants and chemicals than other companies’ memory foam or latex mattresses
• Inadequate tests that show their mattresses do not contain any VOCs or chemicals
• Ficticous and misleading logos
• False certifications

Here is an excerpt from the July 25^th, 2013 FTC announcement: “Under settlements with the Federal Trade Commission, three mattress manufacturers have agreed to stop making unsupported claims that the mattresses they sell are free of harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
 
In addition to challenging the companies’ VOC-free claims, the FTC charged that two of the companies made unsupported claims that their mattresses were chemical-free and lacked odor.  The FTC also challenged one company’s claim that its mattresses are made from 100 percent natural materials, and another company’s claim that its mattresses were certified by an organic mattress organization. In settling the FTC’s charges, the companies have agreed not to make similar claims in the future, unless they have competent and reliable scientific evidence to prove they are true.  In addition, one company is barred from making misrepresentations about certifications.” For the full article and links for more information on the FTC announcement, click HERE. To see a full list of OMI’s certifications, see our Purity Guarantee HERE.