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Advertisers' Adherence To The Ftc's Green Guides: A Content Analysis Of Environmental Marketing Claims, Charlotte Muse

Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal

In 1992, the Federal Trade Commission created the Guides for Use of Environmental Market Claims, with revisions made in 1996 and 1998. The Guides designate how the Commission applies Section 5 of the FTC Act, which prevents unfair or deceptive practices, to environmental claims. Based on the increased proliferation of environmental marketing claims, the FTC has decided to again revise the Guides. The purpose of this study was to examine whether the environmental claims present in print advertisements are included in the current FTC Guides and whether the qualifying language surrounding claims is acceptable, poorly explained, not explained, or meaningless. …