When good companies go green, they sometimes miss the mark.

The latest evidence was in the Wall Street Journal. I opened a recent copy and noticed a full-page color add for a helicopter manufacturer. The exploded view ad touted improved features on the company's newest model.

Near the bottom, the ad proclaimed that the helicopter's low to zero VOC paint protects the environment, and employees. The claim is a laudable goal, to be sure.

But, ultimately, the claim amounts to little more than window-dressing. In other words, it's greenwash. As the marketing firm TerraChoice points out describing the 'Sin of the Lesser of Two Evils," some product categories simply can't be made green.

So what? Helicopters don't have anything to do with facilities. But greenwash is a problem with all kinds of companies, including those that make building products.

To read more on ways to make sure you find the products with the best environmental attributes, read The Signs of Greenwash. Do you have any examples of greenwash you'd like to share? If so, post it in the comments below.