In an effort to protect consumers, the European Union has recently banned greenwashing and other misleading product information.
“To achieve this, a number of problematic marketing habits related to greenwashing and the early obsolescence of goods will be added to the EU list of banned commercial practices,” states the European parliament, after members voted overwhelming in favor of the directive.
Under the law, labels such as “environmentally friendly,” “biodegradable,” and “climate neutral” will only be allowed on advertising and packaging if there is concrete evidence supporting the claims. Furthermore, sustainability labels will be centralized and established by public authorities; only these official labels will be allowed in the EU once the new rule officially rolls out. This “harmonized label” approach is expected to give greater prominence to those products that are actually eco-friendly, so consumers can more easily choose the friendlier option if they so wish. The new rules are expected to take effect in all member states within the next two years.
