Companies that place printed adhesive labels on their products should be required to publish more environmental data.
According to Adam Corner, a research associate at Cardiff University, there is an "urgent" need to create a simple and universal system of outlining an item's carbon footprint, the Guardian reports.
This, he said, is because the current lack of regulation in this area means businesses can talk up their green credentials on product packaging, when the actual statements they make are "vague and meaningless".
"The word 'sustainable' can be attached to almost anything," Mr Corner commented.
As a result, he believes consumers are finding it difficult to identify a genuine green product.
Mr Corner added that while carbon labelling could have a "significant impact" on people's buying habits, the idea has "never taken off" in the UK.
This comes after research carried out by The Big Picture design research agency found people perceive products as green when they have photos of people or animals appearing to benefit from using them and living sustainably.
Denny Bros Ltd, 24 January 2012
