Environmental Claims

Environmental claims are statements in advertising about the environmental impact of a product, packaging, service or company: “green”, “sustainable”, “eco”, “nature-friendly”, “eco-friendly”, “zero waste”, “recyclable”, “carbon neutral”, “green energy” and the like. As consumers’ environmental preferences grow, such claims have become widespread.

The Advertising Board’s Guidelines

In 2023 the Advertising Board published its Guidelines on Advertising Containing Environmental Claims. The main rules are:

• Specificity: General concepts such as “eco-friendly” may not be used without explanation; the specific feature benefiting the environment must be stated.
• Substantiation: Claims must be supported by scientific, current documents from national competent authorities, universities or accredited research, testing and assessment bodies.
• Scope: It must be clear whether the claim relates to the whole product, a part of it or only the packaging.
• Recycled content: A product may be described as “recycled” only if it contains recycled raw material; the claim cannot be used for a merely refurbished product.
• Legal requirements: A feature already mandatory under legislation should not be presented as a product-specific environmental benefit.

A Good Environmental Claim

A good environmental claim is specific, measurable and verifiable: “70% of the packaging is made from recycled plastic” is much safer than “nature-respecting packaging”. Supporting documents must be ready before the ad runs; see Burden of Proof in Advertising.

Misleading Use

Vague, exaggerated or unprovable environmental claims are considered greenwashing and may lead to suspension and administrative fines under Law No. 6502. For a detailed assessment, see Environmental Advertisements: The End of the Greenwashing Era.