With more and more businesses integrating green initiatives into their marketing strategies, it is sometimes difficult to distinguish who is actually accomplishing meaningful change and who is full of hot air. 

It is no secret that many companies simply support environmental works because they believe that they will be more appealing to their customers as a result. And although most corporate support of environmental causes is admirable and does accomplish some degree of good, it doesn't always accomplish the most good possible.

With so many vague and confusing environmental claims flooding the market, the FTC just announced tighter regulations for green claims in an attempt to cut through all of the somewhat misleading messages companies make about their products.  I applaud the FTC for their efforts to expose false green claims that are gradually saturating the market and turning consumers off the truly sustainable and green products. 

The greenwashing has inadvertently affected businesses that strive to make a positive impact on the environment. As a result of so many businesses making some form of environmental pledge, consumers are less likely to praise any small environmental impact a company is making. Unfortunately small businesses that are "just" environmentally friendly no longer stand out as they have in years past.

So what should a small business do if it wants to have a positive impact on the environment and stand out from the crowd?

Be more specific with environmental initiatives.

Instead of having a blanket statement that a certain percentage of sales is being donated towards saving rainforests, for instance, a company will need to donate money towards saving gorilla babies who have been orphaned due to poaching. The reason for this is that people are more likely to take note of a business that is accomplishing a concrete goal than a company who has a vague and somewhat confusing, albeit good, environmental mission.

Companies can also accomplish more good by being specific. Rather than diluting efforts by trying to "save the planet," a single company can save a specific area of the planet, or a specific species. Much like how you are more likely to succeed by having your product or service target a niche market, you are more likely to actually accomplish environmental good if you target a specific and concrete need.

One proven way to have a concrete mission and accomplish specific environmental good is to link the sale of every product to a specific environmental action.

For instance, United By Blue (pictured above and right) removes one pound of trash from our world's oceans and waterways for every single product sold. Every business transaction funds our ongoing efforts to organize and host cleanups across the world, and as a result of this business model we have removed more than 10,000 pounds of trash since launching the brand in May.  

But associating a specific action to every business transaction does not just have to be viable only for businesses selling physical products. Every business transaction, whether it is for services or products, can accomplish environmental good. If what you sell is of value to your customers, you can easily find the needed profit to accomplish something good while still growing your business. 

Having a concrete environmental mission need not cost more. In fact, having a concrete mission is much easier to use in marketing efforts and can lead to a much higher ROI than vague environmental initiatives do. 

The reality is that even the most sustainable businesses have a negative impact on our environment. The question is can your business do more good than harm? There is no better way to measure the good your business accomplishes than being specific and concrete with everything you do. 

Brian Linton is the founder and chief trash collector at United By Blue (UBB). UBB is a sustainable brand of apparel that removes one pound of trash from our oceans and waterways for every product sold.