ending ▁differences : ▁when ▁significantly ▁more ▁money ▁or ▁time ▁has ▁been ▁spent ▁advert ising ▁being ▁" green " ▁( that ▁is , ▁operating ▁with ▁consideration ▁for ▁the ▁environment ), ▁than ▁is ▁actually ▁spent ▁on ▁environment ally ▁sound ▁practices . ▁Green w ash ing ▁efforts ▁can ▁range ▁from ▁changing ▁the ▁name ▁or ▁label ▁of ▁a ▁product ▁to ▁e voke ▁the ▁natural ▁environment ▁on ▁a ▁product ▁containing ▁harm ful ▁chemical s ▁to ▁mult im ill ion - d ollar ▁market ing ▁campaign s ▁port ray ing ▁highly ▁poll uting ▁energy ▁companies ▁as ▁e co - friend ly . ▁ ▁Green w ash ing ▁is ▁therefore ▁a ▁" mask " ▁used ▁to ▁cover - up ▁uns ust ain able ▁corpor ate ▁ag end as ▁and ▁policies . ▁High ly ▁public ▁accus ations ▁of ▁green w ash ing ▁have ▁contributed ▁to ▁the ▁term ' s ▁increasing ▁use . ▁ ▁While ▁green w ash ing ▁is ▁not ▁new , ▁its ▁use ▁has ▁increased ▁over ▁recent ▁years ▁to ▁meet ▁consumer ▁demand ▁for ▁environment ally ▁friendly ▁goods ▁and ▁services . ▁The ▁problem ▁is ▁comp ounded ▁by ▁la x ▁enfor cement ▁by ▁regul atory ▁ag encies ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Federal ▁Trade ▁Commission ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁the ▁Compet ition ▁Bureau ▁in ▁Canada , ▁and ▁the ▁Committee ▁of ▁Ad vert ising ▁Pract ice ▁and ▁the ▁Broadcast ▁Committee ▁of ▁Ad vert ising ▁Pract ice ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom . ▁ ▁Crit ics ▁of ▁the ▁practice ▁suggest ▁the ▁rise ▁of ▁green w ash ing , ▁pa ired ▁with ▁in effect ive ▁reg ulation