Ever feel confused by all the "eco" labels and “green” claims? You are not alone! Majority of these environmental claims are misleading or very vague, and that is what we call greenwashing. It makes it hard for consumers to trust what companies say is really true.
The good news is that the EU has implemented measures to improve this!
No more vague "eco" claims with the greenwashing directive
Effective from March 27, 2024, the greenwashing directive (also known as the Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive) addresses the language used in environmental claims. It sets strict rules on what words are not allowed without clear evidence to support them.
For example, companies cannot just call a product or service "green" or "eco-friendly" without solid proof. These words are too broad and often impossible to verify. This directive ensures that when a company makes an environmental claim, it has to be clear and provable, so consumers are not misled. Meaning that when you have the supporting documents in place, you can communicate about the percentage of renewable materials in a product or when you have the official certification from FSC, you can talk about the product being FSC certified etc.