The European Parliament and Council have recently forged a preliminary consensus on a set of regulations aimed at cracking down on deceptive environmental claims, often referred to as ‘greenwashing,’ and premature product obsolescence. These regulations are set to impact labelling and marketing practices in the textile and fashion sector.
This new prohibition on greenwashing and rules concerning product longevity represent an updated version of a prior draft proposal outlined in March 2023, focusing on proscribing misleading commercial practices within the EU. Biljana Borzan, the rapporteur for the Parliament, emphasised a surprising statistic: 60 per cent of European consumers are unaware that all products come with a legal guarantee or a minimum two-year guarantee.
Outlined within the new regulations are prohibitions on several practices, including:
- Utilising generic environmental claims like ‘environmentally friendly’ or ‘eco’ without verifiable evidence of significant environmental benefit.
- Making commercial claims about a product’s limited durability without disclosing relevant information about this feature.
- Using claims based on emissions offsetting schemes that inaccurately imply a product has a neutral or positive environmental impact.
- Displaying sustainability labels lacking validation from approved certification schemes or public authorities.
- Making durability claims about usage time or intensity under normal conditions without substantiation.
- Encouraging premature replacement of consumables, such as printer ink cartridges.
- Presenting software updates as necessary improvements to functionality even when they only enhance features.
- Falsely advertising products as repairable when they are not.
Borzan additionally highlighted the Parliament’s efforts to bring clarity to environmental claims, ensuring they are substantiated and banning claims based on emissions offsetting. This regulatory move aims to promote transparency and accuracy in environmental communication.
Image Name: EU’s bold move combatting greenwashing and product obsolescence in fashion
