A recent ‘Green Guides’ workshop in Washington, D.C., hosted by the FTC, focused on the regulatory review of its environmental marketing standards. One workshop, which focused on the carbon market and renewable energy claims, generated more than 70 public comments submitted by trade associations, corporations and other stakeholders. Wal-Mart and other retailers were evaluated on environmental claims made on their packaging. The FTC’s is accepting public comments on packaging issues here.

U.S. industrial companies are spending heavily on environmentally friendly efforts even as the economic slowdown dents their profits, according to a Reuters article. Fueling the "green" trend are hopes that products that are made of recyclable materials or use less energy will win praise, forestall onerous regulation and cut rising costs. Companies are expecting to save millions of dollars in the future when investing in sustainable business practices, even if there's a temporary hit on earnings.

A recent survey indicated American consumers are being turned off by the hype surrounding organic products due price, skepticism and confusion, according to an article by Dairy Herd Management. The percentage of consumers who believe organic products are good for them is down to 45 percent, while those who believe they're good for the environment has fallen to 48 percent. Both measures stood at 54 percent approval rating two years ago. On average, organic products still sell for as much as 50 to 100 percent more than non-organic alternatives.

The Senate Health Committee in California voted to approve and send to the Senate floor SB 1713, the "Toxin-Free Toddlers and Babies Act". The bill bans any detectable level of the toxic chemical bisphenol A (BPA) from all toys and child care products sold in California. In addition to California, eight states are moving legislation that phases out or prohibits BPA in children´s products.

Tesco, the UK's biggest supermarket, has launched carbon footprint labels on a range of its own-brand products. Products including light bulbs, potatoes and detergents, will be labelled with a small footprint logo which will show how much carbon was emitted during the production and subsequent life cycles of the goods. Other brands to have tested carbon labels include Walkers and Innocent Drinks. Tesco's move comes as many retailers' sales are suffering. Figures showed retail sales in the UK dipped 1.6%, the first decline for more than two years. 

The number of complaints lodged to the advertising standards watchdog in the UK related to environmental or green claims has more than quadrupled in the past year, according to an article by The Guardian UK. The annual report from the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) shows that in 2007 the ASA received 561 complaints about environmental claims in 410 ads, compared with just 117 complaints about 83 ads the year before. The ASA has already censured several high-profile companies including Suzuki, Shell, Ryanair and Toyota for the practice of "greenwashing" or misleading consumers on their environmental practices for the benefit of a product or service.

Perfluorinated compounds, or PFC’s, which have long been used to make cookware nonstick and stain-resistant fabrics, have been found in samples of human milk from nursing mothers, according to research from the University of Massachusetts. PFC’s have previously shown up in wildlife, drinking water supplies, and human blood; however the first study in the United States to document their occurrence in human milk. PFCs are persistent chemicals that can linger in the environment and the human body for years without being broken down.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it will fill more than 1,300 new positions, triple the number hired by the agency during the past two years. About 500 of the positions will be funded by user fees that are paid to the agency by drugmakers filing applications to market new products, according to the FDA. Most of the new positions will be in the department charged with reviewing new drugs, and 150 will be in field offices that inspect manufacturing plants and food centers.