Companies say they're going green. Here's how to tell if they measure up.

As the idea of living sustainably becomes more popular, there are more products than ever that seem to make that easier than ever. With Earth Day and the ongoing climate crisis, companies are intensely marketing those products and their services with promises of helping the planet.

Don't be fooled.  "You can use these words and there are very few legal definitions around it, depends a little bit on the country," he said. "... Using such vague words should kind of ring the alarm bells in the consumer's eyes." 

Some of the eco-conscious promises that companies are making are more about the bottom line and gaining customers. That phenomenon even has a name — greenwashing — coined by environmental activist Jay Westerveld in the 1980s. According to The Guardian, Westerveld first got the idea for the term when he visited a hotel in Samoa and saw a sign posted asking people to reuse their towels to help save the environment.  It will take more work, but to better ensure you are making a truly eco-friendly investment, he said, you have to look for more independent labels that verify claims. Some companies, for example, say they are fair trade — a trade practice that essentially promises a more just and sustainable production and supply process — without having the actual certification. FairTradeCertified.org allows people to search for specific products to verify their certification, although just because items are Fair Trade Certified does not mean their companies are free of other environmental harms. Non-governmental organizations and unions also offer independent verification of labels, he said.