Consumer advocates say labeling on products needs to be clearer since some items claiming to be green may not be more environmentally friendly.
"Consumers choose those products because they want to make a difference. It's disheartening to find you may not be (making a difference). It's important that we have the correct info," says Gloria Desorcy of the Manitoba branch of the Consumers' Association of Canada.
Environmentalists are concerned about the labeling of products and the process of "greenwashing."
"What ‘greenwashing' is, is any attempt to sell a product or a corporation as environmentally sustainable when it doesn't meet those criteria or it's using those criteria in a misleading way," says Josh Brandon of Resource Conservation Manitoba.
Last year, TerraChoice looked at more than a 1,000 products claiming to be "eco friendly." It found only one of those products was truly green, a toilet paper made in Quebec.
Josh Brandon recommends people carefully read labels, do their research and ask questions of retailers. Officials say people can also go to smaller retailers that will do the research for the consumer, such as Humboldt's Legacy or Organza Market in Winnipeg. If they shop at larger retailers, consumers can also watch for certain logos, such as Ecologo, Sustainable Forestry Initiative and Forest Stewardship Council Canada.
Consumer advocates say labeling needs to be made clearer on products. Currently, there are guidelines in place but no firm government regulations or standards for what makes a product environmentally friendly.
The Consumers' Association plans to raise more awareness on the issue so that shoppers know exactly what to look for in products.
The association is holding an information session on March 18 at the Millennium Library in the Buchwald Room. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the event is slated to start at 7 p.m.
- with a report from CTV's Eleanor Cooopsammy
