California Establishes Legal Definitions for Environmental Terms

Voluntary certification of product environmental claims is a useful option, but it does little to prevent bogus claims by other manufacturers. A 1990 California law attempts to address this problem by establishing legal definitions for the terms “ozone friendly,” “biodegradable,” “photodegradable,” “recyclable,” and “recycled.” Companies are barred from making such claims unless their products conform to the legal definitions. The October 2, 1995

Forest Service News Digest reports that the U.S. Supreme Court has unanimously upheld the law in the face of a challenge from ten business groups, clearing the way for other states to adopt similar laws.