FTC: Eco-friendly Clothing Must Be As Advertised
By Amy E. Feldman
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - What could be more eco-friendly than clothes made of bamboo? You'd be surprised.
When you buy a sweater called ecoKashmere or Bamboo Comfort you get a kind of warm tingly feeling because you get to be both fashionable and eco-friendly. Well, not the eco-friendly part so much since you're actually wearing rayon.
This past month, the Federal Trade Commission settled complaints it had made against retailers Amazon, Leon Max, Macy's, and Sears for more than a million dollars. The FTC claimed the retailers deceptively made claims that their products are made in an environmentally friendly process, or that they are organic bamboo.
According to the FTC, a product must be labeled with the proper generic name for the fiber, which is rayon unless it can accurately label the fiber content in the product. If you're buying bamboo fabric because you care about being ecofriendly, ask about the company's backup to show it's really bamboo. If you are just looking for a fashion statement, feel free to plunk down your greenbacks.
