What are green claims?

Green claims (sometimes called ‘environmental claims’ or ‘eco-friendly claims’) are claims that show how a product, service, brand or business provides a benefit or is less harmful to the environment.

Many businesses use green claims to help market their products or services. They do this through a range of methods such as: statements, symbols, emblems, logos, graphics, colours and product brand names.

Person checking if his purchase is really eco-friendly

Green Claims Code for Shoppers Tips 

To help consumers to identify genuine environmental claims about products and services that they are considering purchasing we’ve created a series of tips.

The tips are designed to encourage consumers to ask themselves some simple questions when they see an environmental claim. Where possible, we would encourage consumers to be wary of vague claims and demand more information from businesses about their goods and services for which they claim environmental benefits.

Green Claims Code for Shoppers Tips

Check your green claims

Many businesses are already doing the right thing by being upfront about how green a product really is. But that’s not always the case. A recent international analysis of websites found that 40% of green claims made online could be misleading.

That’s why we’ve created the Green Claims Code, to help you ensure your green claims are genuine and not misleading. Not only will it help you protect your business’ reputation with its customers, but it will also help you to stay on the right side of the law.

Green Claims Code

Watch our video to learn more about what your business needs to do to follow the Green Claims Code.

 

Green claims MUST:

1. Be truthful and accurate: Businesses must live up to the claims they make about their products, services, brands and activities

 

2. Be clear and unambiguous: The meaning that a consumer is likely to take from a product’s messaging and the credentials of that product should match

 

3. Not omit or hide important information: Claims must not prevent someone from making an informed choice because of the information they leave out

 

4. Only make fair and meaningful comparisons: Any products compared should meet the same needs or be intended for the same purpose

 

5. Consider the full life cycle of the product: When making claims, businesses must consider the total impact of a product or service. Claims can be misleading where they don’t reflect the overall impact or where they focus on one aspect of it but not another

 

6. Be substantiated: Businesses should be able to back up their claims with robust, credible and up to date evidence

Read our full guidance. It explains in detail what you need to know about misleading green claims.

Green claims quiz

Green claims are genuine when they properly describe the environmental impact of the product, brand, business or service, with evidence to back it up.

Claims can be misleading if any information is hidden or is misrepresented. This is commonly known as ‘greenwashing’.

40% of green claims made online could be misleading. Check your knowledge of the Green Claims Code.