How do I spot greenwashing on a product page?
Short answer
Check three things: whether the claim names a standard, whether a third party verified it, and whether it covers the whole product or one component. Unregulated words — natural, green, eco-friendly, conscious, clean — carry no legal meaning and can be printed without any evidence.
The detail
The most common tactic is the hidden trade-off: a plastic bottle celebrated for 30% recycled content while the formula inside is unchanged. The second is vague imagery — leaves, earth tones, kraft paper — doing work the words cannot legally do.
The UK CMA Green Claims Code and the EU's Empowering Consumers Directive both now require environmental claims to be substantiated, specific and verifiable. Brands that already publish supplier lists, LCA data or certification licence numbers are ahead of that curve.
At a glance
- Named standard
- 'GOTS-certified organic cotton' beats 'made with natural fibres'.
- Third-party audit
- If the brand is the only source, treat it as marketing.
- Scope
- Ask what percentage, which component, and over what timeframe.
- Offsets
- 'Carbon neutral' without published methodology and retirement records is unverifiable.