The wealth of products and information can make it hard for consumers to know where to start when they want to make an environmentally responsible buying decision.

Reports from respected science-based and consumer organizations show all forest certification programs used in North America, including SFI, support sustainable forest management. In its 2010 Sins of Greenwashing report, TerraChoice includes SFI among "legitimate" environmental standards and certifications.

In its Environmental Claims: A Guide for Industry and Advertisers, the Canadian Competition Bureau says it is difficult to make a verifiable claim of sustainability, and says the preferred approach for wood is to show it is certified to a sustainable forest management standard. It lists the four programs used in Canada, which includes SFI. In its Rules for Use of SFI On-Product Labels, the SFI program encourages participants and label users to consult the Canadian Competition Bureau's guide and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission's Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims.