USDA's New Green Label: Can You Trust It?

Coming soon to a store near you: Lip balms, cleaning supplies and other products bearing a new green stamp of approval from the federal government. The U.S. Department of Agriculture hopes its awkwardly-termed new ecolabel -- "USDA Certified Biobased Product" -- will steer you to buy these products just as "Energy Star" stickers help spur sales of energy-efficient appliances.

But don't assume the new logo means what you'd expect, starting with this fact: Guess how much of a given product must be green to qualify for this voluntary label? You probably figure nearly 100% -- but rules require a minimum of just 25%.

"Why would the USDA confuse the market by allowing a general 'biobased' claim on a product of anything less than 95% biobased material?" asked Andrew Beauchamp of Green Seal, which itself is a private certifier of green products, in his comments submitted to the USDA. He noted that the same federal agency requires organic products to contain at least 95% organic material, so this new program "will mislead consumers."