Brands all too often bombard consumers with claims that imply their products are
sustainable. The coffee cup with a green leaf says “Compostable!” but fails to
mention it will only compost under specific and rare conditions. Your favorite
coffee shop eliminating plastic straws in favor of a lid is actually using more
plastic. And your favorite plant-based milk inflates its greenhouse gas
credentials over dairy alternatives.
Consumers are . . . confused, and with good cause. 66 percent of consumers tell
us
it’s
hard to know if brands are acting in sustainable ways. And a
study
by the UK’s Competitions and Markets Authority (CMA) found up to 40
percent of green claims found online are misleading.
As consumer demand for purpose-led brands increases year after year, you can
expect an exponential increase in two things: the volume of ‘green’ brand claims
and the level of public scrutiny.
In the UK, the Advertising Standards Authority is challenging brands on
green claims; even sustainable brand faves such as
Oatly and
Innocent
are being called out for their inability to substantiate green claims with data
to back up environmental assertions. The end result? Pulling ad campaigns.
In the US, California recently passed
legislation
that puts more scrutiny on environmental claims — and more specifically,
restricts recyclability claims for packaging by 2024. This new law cracks down
on use of the recycling symbol or compostability
claims
on packaging where state recycling infrastructure does not exist. Because of the
size of the California consumer market, these new rules will become the new
standard for the US — which means that aforementioned coffee cup will need to
drop the claim on compostability or prove through certification that facilities
exist to compost it.
Before your brand team loses time, money and precious brand equity, check out
this summary of resources to help you stay the course.
Green claims guides
As governments around the world crack down on greenwashing claims, we have found
the following guides on environmental claims helpful as we guide our own client
brands in making fair and legal claims.
-
UK
CMA
The UK government’s green guides — updated in 2021 — cover key principles
and give examples of sample cases.
-
FTC Green
Guides
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has a Green Claims Guides for US
businesses. It updated the latest version in 2021 and will review again this year.
Packaging claims
Consumers say recycling is consistently one of the top sustainable behaviors
they engage in regularly, which stands to reason as it’s a problem we all face
in our daily lives. The overriding principle for recycling claims is this: Make
them clear and true. If your packaging says it’s recyclable, biodegradable or
compostable, there should be a high probability that it can and is being
recycled.
A good resource for developing both more sustainable packaging and accurate
packaging claims is the Sustainable Packaging
Coalition. Check the resource
section for a range of guides on everything from more recycled content to
recycling facilities mapped across the US.
Net-zero claims
Claims of ambitions to get to zero emissions by 2030, 2040 or
2050
have exploded in recent years. As we sit in the midst of a climate emergency,
this is exactly what is needed. But not all claims are created equal. Many
net-zero claims are vague on
details
as to how exactly a company plans to get to zero emissions — whether that’s
through reduction in emissions or a reliance on carbon offsets.
Get Net Zero
Right
is a toolkit from the UN’s Race to Zero
program
for how to set credible commitments. Key principles include whether the company
is already taking action on near-term targets, transparency on progress and the
role offsets play in delivery of the goal.
Reputation + trust
Ultimately, building brand loyalty and love is about trust. And it’s hard to
trust someone who plays fast and loose with the facts or fails to back up their
statements with proof. Today’s marketers walk a fine line between snappy copy,
good design and sustainable credentials. In the Purpose Advantage 2.0,
we devote an entire chapter to how to tell your brand story in an authentic,
transparent way — because in today’s market, your reputation is
everything.
As Warren Buffett said, “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five
minutes to ruin it.”
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Impact Manager, Purpose + Sustainability
Formerly working in the advertising world in Kansas City, Hannah Zimmerman has now married her past experience with her passion for sustainability. When she isn't chasing her four-year-old daughter or helping companies along on their sustainability journey through consulting, reporting, communications and certifications, she is working on her master's in Sustainability through Harvard.
Published Mar 14, 2022 8am EDT / 5am PDT / 12pm GMT / 1pm CET