About this article
Greenwashing is problematic for sustainability. The EU and other regions have proposed or implemented steps to outlaw greenwashing. What is the current status, and what does it mean for the use of ‘green claims’?
Greenwashing and legislation
As more consumers seek sustainable options, making products and services look as sustainable as possible has become a marketing strategy.
53% of green claims give vague, misleading or unfounded information, and 40% of the claims offer no supporting evidence.
As research has shown. While some businesses greenwash unconsciously, this highlights a gap in guidance for both marketers and consumers. Existing laws haven’t provided enough protection against misleading claims, which led to the EU introducing the Green Claims Directive.
Facing the stage of final negotiations, the European Commission has however hinted that it could withdraw the proposed Green Claims Directive. Fortunately, there are already EU and non-EU regulations in place to ensure honest communication. Read on to learn what that looks like.
The Green Claims Directive in short
The Green Claims Directive was designed to amend the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive (UCPD) of 2005. While the UCPD addresses general unfair practices, the proposed Green Claims Directive specifically targeted greenwashing, aiming to protect consumers’ rights to make informed choices.
However, the EU has decided to put the Directive on hold, perhaps indefinitely, due to pressure from some political groups.
This does not mean that the Green Claims Directive is completely off the table. Some hope that it could be reintroduced in the future. In the meantime, regulators in each Member States can still enforce national rules to avoid greenwashing.
Other legislation addressing greenwashing
For European countries outside the EU, green claims are also policed by different sets of legislation. In the UK, the ‘Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill’ is coming into effect, while Switzerland has its own ‘The Federal Act against Unfair Competition’ (“UCA”) along with guidance from the Swiss Fairness Commission. Verive products are available in both the UK and Switzerland.
Why are terms like ‘eco,’ ‘green,’ ‘natural,’ and ‘environmentally friendly’ banned?
Most legislation tackling greenwashing aims to prohibit green claims that cannot be substantiated. Words like “eco,” “green,” “natural,” and “environmentally friendly” are vague and lack specific meaning. For example, without a clear definition, what does “eco” actually mean? Similarly, phrases like “most sustainable” or “lowest footprint” are best avoided, unless you can specify your comparison and methods.
Verive’s approach to green claims
At Verive, our mission is to combat greenwashing and communicate transparently. We collaborate closely with our Sustainability team and provide training to our sales and marketing teams. Some claims we avoid include:
- Plastic-free: This claim can suggest that plastic is inherently “bad,” which isn’t always accurate. It may also be misleading, as it’s often not entirely true.
- PFAS-free: Even if we don’t add PFAS ourselves, trace amounts may still be present, so we prefer to say “no PFAS added.”
- Biodegradable: There is no clear timeframe nor conditions linked to this claim. We rather say “industrially compostable”, which is backed up by a certification that sets a standard for the timeframe and conditions in which the product decomposes.
- Environmental impact: Since all production affects the environment, we avoid vague terms like “friendly” or “conscious” and instead focus on describing specific actions or outcomes.
Which claims can you still make?
Instead of using unsubstantiated claims, like the ones mentioned above, it is best to only use claims that can be substantiated, such as those supported by scientific evidence or independent certification.
For example, in a previous article, we discussed our approach with the term “recycled”, and in our product commitments, we describe what we mean when we say a product is made from renewable materials or is recyclable at the end-of-life. Where possible, we support claims with certifications, like the EN 13432 certificate for industrial compostability. We have also covered relevant food packaging certificates in this article to provide further clarity.
Need help?
Have questions about a sustainability claim? Want to explore Verive’s range or develop a sustainable packaging strategy? We are here to help. Reach out via our contact page or email us at info@verive.eu.
Jet Kolkman
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