Lawsuit Charges S.C. Johnson With Misleading Green Marketing

S.C. Johnson & Son Inc. faces a civil lawsuit over its Greenlist green-marketing claims for the company's Windex glass cleaner and Shout stain remover. The lawsuit, which can possibly turn into a class action, alleges that S.C. Johnson has not disclosed that it owns and manages the Greenlist environmental impact rating system. This will become more significant when proposed regulations by the Federal Trade Commission take effect. S.C. Johnson, however, denies that its Greenlist labeling is fraudulent, asserting that the patented system has helped the company achieve some of its sustainability goals. Greenlist won an award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2006 and was reviewed by the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, the company said.