Environmental claims
(for all nations)
Enter your postcode in the field at the bottom of this page to see if your local authority trading standards department has the full leaflet version available on its website.
A green claim is designed to entice consumers concerned about buying products which are damaging to the environment. There is guidance from Defra (new website) on the use of green claims and an international standard which states that green claims should not be vague or ambiguous. The Advertising Standards Authority also has a code in relation to general advertisements, which are required to be 'legal, decent, honest and truthful'. There is specific guidance in relation to terms such as ‘recyclable’, ‘organic’ and ‘biodegradable’.
New laws also mean that you must be given energy efficiency information when buying electrical appliances. The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (which have replaced the Trade Descriptions Act 1968) makes it a criminal offence to market goods in a way that is either false or misleading.
