Almost half of products making claims to be environmentally friendly are potentially misleading customers, a study has found.
The research, carried out on a range of products on sale in Ireland which make environmental claims, found that many did not stand up to close scrutiny.
The authors also raised concerns that the lack of controls and standards in the area could generate increasing confusion and uncertainty in the future with a growing number of products expected to carry environmental labels, such as "carbon neutral".
Some existing claims were blatantly misleading, the research found, including one standard unrecycled paper product which carried a tree emblem alongside a slogan "Kinder to Nature".
The report found there were no controls in Ireland to deal with misleading environmental claims and highlighted low awareness among the general public about the issue, as well as a failure by State agencies to raise awareness.
Researchers working for the environmental institute at UCD examined claims on the labels of 162 different products on sale in Ireland, including paints, detergents, washing-up liquids, paper and toilet paper.
They sought to establish whether the claims met the standards of a voluntary green code developed in the UK for eco-friendly product claims. According to the research, which was commissioned by the Environmental Protection Agency, the claims made on 53 per cent of the products stood up to scrutiny.
However, three out of ten claims failed the test for being fair and accurate. Although none made any blatantly false claim, many were misleading by suggesting they were more environmentally friendly when in fact they were relatively standard products.
A further 17 per cent of claims were deemed to be "borderline". Paint products were the single biggest offender, with a considerable number labelled as being lead-free.
While this claim is accurate, the labels do not state that the use of lead in all paint has been banned in Europe for some time.
The report found similar situations for some aerosols relating to CFC gases, which have also been banned for nearly two decades.
Anne Pender, who co-wrote the report, said the survey also highlighted the need for better information for the public on such claims. "I think one of the main findings is the need for better consumer and environmental education so people have a better idea of some of the claims," she said.