Greenwashing Crack Down Changes

What Is Greenwashing And Why Is This Initiative Important?

Greenwashing at its core is a marketing tool used to deceive or overexaggerate someone's commitment to green causes or downplay their impact on the environment. Common practices involve plastering nature imagery on web pages or packaging to create an association with the great outdoors or making unfounded claims on how much material was recycled.

Many companies have an eco-conscious mindset towards their marketing, so much so that it is baked into their core principles and ethos when it comes to selecting new partners. As net-zero emissions have become more and more prominent some companies, due to the lack of prior governance, have made unsubstantiated claims on their eco-friendly credentials.

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What Anti-Greenwashing Changes Are Coming And When?

Active enforcement is due to be in effect by 27 September 2026 under the EU's ECGT (Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition) Directive, which completely bans terms such as "eco-friendly" or "green" on packaging unless backed by strict, Type-1 official ecolabels. The largest fundamental change is what is being dubbed as the "Evidence Layer"—in the form of demonstrable evidence, future claims to green objectives must be made publicly available for all with time-bound milestones, budget commitments and implementation plans.

While the UK and more specifically the DMCCA (Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act) has been championing this approach, more so online, since guidance and framework came into effect in 2024–2025, the UK legislation carries penalties as large as 10% of a company's global turnover.

How Do I Avoid Falling Into The Greenwashing Trap?

Complying with the ask as a supplier will likely be equal parts expensive, equal parts time-consuming; it has been set up this way to ensure those who make the claims can absolutely back them up. Audit templates and compliance frameworks are readily available for those keen to take on the challenge themselves alongside online courses and resources, while other companies are now acting as greenwashing consultants ready to take on the task for a fee.

As a consumer, it is worth thinking that there is always someone ready to take the risk and adopt the thought process of "they won't look into it". The WWF released a guide recently on how to spot greenwashing and cited four key warning signs:

1 -Buzzwords – Is the copy buzzword-rich and reads like it is just there to tick a box?

2 - Evidence – Or lack thereof; a total absence of facts or figures is always a red flag.

3 - Verification – Can the claims be independently verified?

4 -Sustainability – Often focus will be solely environmental but other pillars often overlooked are social and economic; seek evidence the business thinks about these too.

These laws will see the real eco-friendly and sustainable companies double down on their commitment, while those who did it as a box-ticking exercise fall away, with harsher penalties for those prepared to toe the line between fact and fiction. We want to know how these changes will impact your business and what your thoughts are on the updated policy?

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