FTC Charges Four Companies with Deceptive Labeling
August 12, 2009 - The Federal Trade Commission has charged four textile sellers with deceptive labeling and advertising for claiming a product is 100% Bamboo, when in fact it is Rayon.
The Commission's statement charged that other claims made by the companies were also deceptive and unsubstantiated: the clothing is manufactured using environmentally responsible processes, the cloth retains bamboo's inherent antimicrobial properties, and that the textiles are biodegradable. Three of the four companies, Sami Designs LLC (d.b.a. Jonano), CSE Inc. (d.b.a. Mad Mod) and Pure Bamboo LLC have settled in the suit. M Group (d.b.a. Bamboosa) has not settled.
Rayon is a man-made fiber derived from plant matter that has been treated with a harsh chemical considered to be an air pollutant. While Bamboo can be used to create Rayon, so can numerous other plant based sources. The proposed orders from the FTC do allow the companies to describe their products as "rayon made from bamboo," as long as this is true and can be substantiated. The companies will not be allowed to claim their products are biodegradable nor that they are manufactured in an environmentally responsible manner.
"With the tremendous expansion of green claims in today's marketplace, it is particularly important for the FTC to address deceptive environmental claims, so that consumers can trust that the products they buy have the environmentally friendly attributes they want," said David Vladeck, Director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection. "When companies sell products woven from man-made fibers, such as rayon, it is important that they accurately label and advertise those products - both with respect to the fibers they use and to the qualities those fibers possess."
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