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Walmart has agreed to pay $1 million to settle greenwashing claims that allege the nation's largest retailer sold plastic products that were misleadingly labeled "biodegradable" or "compostable" in violation of California law.

Just 15% of the environmental claims made by consumer brands in Brazil are confirmed by third-party certification, according to Brazilian research company Market Analysis. The number of products making sustainability claims has increased almost sixfold since 2010, the company's researchers found

The number of standards for green products has grown in recent years due to increasing market demand for environmentally-preferable products, resulting in concerns over greenwashing and a need for an international standard.

Public relations firm Edelman, in an internal note, says it will no longer do business with producers of coal or organizations that seek to discredit climate change. "When you are trying in some way to obfuscate the truth or use misinformation and half-truths, that is what we would consider getting into the work of greenwashing, and that is something we would never propose or work we would support our client doing," said Michael Stewart, president and CEO for Europe. 

3M has announced that it will stop relying on Sustainable Forestry Initiative certifications and will conduct its own screening and audits of paper suppliers across its whole supply chain. The move is seen as a victory for environmental activists, who have long argued that SFI is a greenwashing operation with ties to major logging companies. MinnPost.com (3/6)

In a statement provided to EcoWatch, Greenpeace criticized Nestlé's statement for not including clear targets or a timeline to reduce and eventually phase out single-use plastics.

Retailers Bed Bath & Beyond, Nordstrom, JC Penney and Backcountry.com have been fined $1.3 million by the Federal Trade Commission for misleading environmental claims.