Consumersarebeingconfusedandmisledbythehodge-podge(大杂烩)ofenvironmentalclaimsmadebyhouseholdproductsaccordingtoa“greenlabeling”studypublishedbyConsumersInternationalFriday.

Amongthereport’smoreoutrageous(令人无法容忍的)findingsaGermanfertilizerdescribeditselfas“earthwormfriendly”abrandoffloursaiditwas“non-polluting”andaBritishtoiletpaperclaimedtobe“environmentallyfriendlier”.

ThestudywaswrittenandresearchedbyBritain’sNationalConsumerCouncil(NCC)forlobbygroupConsumerInternational.ItwasfundedbytheGermanandDutchgovernmentsandtheEuropeanCommission.

“Whilemanygoodandusefulclaimsarebeingmadeitisclearthereisalongwaytogoinensuringshoppersareadequatelyinformedabouttheenvironmentalimpactofproductstheybuy”saidConsumersInternationaldirectorAnnaFielder.

The10-countrystudysurveyedproductpackaginginBritain.WesternEuropeScandinaviaandtheUnitedStates.ItfoundthatproductssoldinGermanyandtheUnitedKingdommadethemostenvironmentalclaimsonaverage.

Thereportfocusedonclaimsmadebyspecificproductssuchasdetergent(洗涤剂)insectspraysandbysomegardenproducts.ItdidnottesttheclaimsbutcomparedthemtolabelingguidelinessetbytheInternationalStandardsOrganization(ISO)inSeptember1999.

Researchersdocumentedclaimsofenvironmentalfriendlinessmadebyabout2000productsandfoundmanytoounclearortoomisleadingtomeetISOstandards.

“Manyproductshadspecially-designedlabelstomakethemseemenvironmentallyfriendlybutinfactmanyofthesesymbolsmeannothing”saidreportresearcherPhilipPage.

“Laundrydetergentsmadethemostnumberofclaimswith158.Householdcleanersweresecondwith145separateclaimswhilepaintswerethirdonourlistwith73.Thehighnumbersshowhowconfusingitmustbeforconsumerstosortthetruefromthemisleading.”hesaid.

TheISOlabelingstandardsbanvagueormisleadingclaimsonproductpackagingbecausetermssuchas“environmentallyfriendly”and“non-polluting”cannotbetested.“WhatwearenowpushingforistohavemultinationalcorporationsmeetthestandardssetbytheISO.”saidPage.

Accordin