Companies have discovered a way to spur purchases among consumers despite the failing economy – it all comes down to environmentally friendly products.

“Four out of five Americans surveyed last month said they are still buying green products,” according to an article by Shelby Wood in The Oregonian.

But with such an abundance of “green” products floating in the marketplace, consumers are struggling to identify which products are actually safe for the environment. The ambiguity of what’s “green” on the shelves makes it easy to “greenwash” products and confuse or mislead consumers.

Two University of Oregon professors have created a website, greenwashingindex.com, simply devoted to help distinguish the true “green” products. Marketers, academics and the Federal Trade Commission have also drawn attention to the concept of greenwashing, according to the article.

If you’re looking to buy green, look beyond the label and if you suspect any greenwashing you can report it to the Federal Trade Commission.