WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A "virtual tsunami" of products touting environmental attributes is flooding the marketplace with little, if any, evidence to help consumers determine what is green or greenwash, according to the assessment of experts who offered lawmakers their opinion of the state of green marketing.

NEW YORK, N.Y. -- A new Ipsos Marketing study suggests green packaging for food products is in and convenient packaging is out for consumers. The food itself should include fresh ingredients and deliver health benefits.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Federal Trade Commission charged the three companies with making false and unsubstantiated claims about the biodegradability of plates, moist wipes and towels. While the products may actually be biodegradable, the FTC argues the claims are misleading since the products are typically throw in the trash.

OAKLAND, Calif. -- A handful of new surveys point to the increased willingness to pay more -- or earn less -- for consumer products or environmentally friendly workplaces, but in which America?

With the announcement on June 1 that General Motors will file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, hybrid car enthusiast blogs are a-buzz with the fate of the Chevy Volt, a gasoline-electric plug-in hybrid, slated to roll off the assembly line in November of 2010.

NORTHBROOK, Ill. -- Serious Materials' new EcoRock drywall is the first product to have its environmental claims validated by UL Environment, a subsidiary of product safety tester Underwriters Laboratory.

It's not surprising that confusion abounds among consumers about green concepts and eco-labels, but many professionals are at sea as well, writes Karen Barnes, the director of Insight at Shelton Group.

Rather than talk about climate change, environmentalism, or socially responsible business, it's time for business leaders to talk about efficiency and other real-world ways to move even the most hardheaded organizations toward a sustainable future.

The cleantech sector holds a number of branding dilemmas. This highly scientific sector involves often incomprehensible and seemingly unglamorous technologies. Also, cleantech companies are often poor at making their products understandable to end-users. But if handled in the right way, clean green and low carbon tech companies can become some of the world's most successful and recognizable 21st century brands -- and help save the planet and the economy.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Green product attributes are evolving into an important brand differentiator for consumers and can serve as a tiebreaker for shoppers evaluating similar products, according to results of a new study from the Grocery Manufacturers Association and Deloitte.

WASHINGTON -- The American National Standards Institute held a workshop this month focusing on sustainability-related product standards, bringing a broad range of stakeholders together to figure out what needs to be done to develop better standards.

OAKLAND, Calif. -- A variety of research shows that green products are staying strong throughout the recession, with companies ranging from Seventh Generation to Kimberly-Clark benefitting from, or betting on, consumers' focus on environmental concerns.

Part two of our Earth Day 2009 package looks beyond what companies are doing in offices and on their own campuses to explore the ways they're sharing their efforts with the world at large.