The EU is actively working on initiatives to address greenwashing (i.e. misleading statements about the environmental claims or profile of a product) and ensure accurate environmental claims on products placed on the EU market, including detergents and cleaning products.
Substantiating green claims
This has led to the proposal in 2023 for a Directive on substantiation and communication of explicit voluntary environmental claims knows as the Green Claims Directive. This Directive also requires that sustainability labels must be based on official certification schemes.
Our industry has been strongly committed to a robust, measurable and externally audited environmental scheme for the sustainability of detergent products and manufacturing processes since 2006 known as the A.I.S.E. Charter for Sustainable Cleaning. The A.I.S.E. Charter is third-party verified at all stages of the lifecycle of a product and based on internationally recognised standards. It supports the whole industry in undertaking continued sustainability improvements and encourages consumers to adopt more sustainable habits when washing, cleaning, and maintaining their homes.
As such, it covers a wide variety of activities, ranging from environmental safety to eco-efficiency, corporate social responsibility, occupational health and safety, resource use and consumer information.
In summary, the A.I.S.E. Charter is:
- Science-based, incorporating the entire life cycle from sourcing to end of life
- Encompasses company processes and product design standards
- Independent third-party verification
- Based on ISO 9001 / 45001 / 14001
- Open to all companies in the sector, not just A.I.S.E. members
A.I.S.E. position
A.I.S.E. supports and welcomes the Commission’s approach to address greenwashing. Above all, any legislation in this area must promote industry innovation and avoid additional administrative burden. We emphasise the need for mutual recognition of green claim certificates across Member States, to ensure a harmonised application, and for alignment with the Directive on Empowering Consumers in the Green Transition.
Unfair commercial practices
To provide higher protection and information to empower consumers for the green transition, the EU Commission proposes to amend the 2005 Unfair Commercial Practices Directive (UCPD) (which was amended in 2019 by Directive (EU) 2019/2161)
UCPD is the overarching EU legislation that regulates unfair commercial practices that occur before, during and after a business-to-consumer transaction has taken place. This ambition is aligned with A.I.S.E.’s own Charter. Ensuring a balanced and reliable approach on the future legal framework for sustainability labels and consumer protection is a priority for our industry.
The goal of the UCPD revision is to enable citizens to make informed and environmental friendly choices when buying products and to strengthen consumer protection against untrustworthy or false environmental claims.
The new rules expand the list of product characteristics about which a trader cannot mislead consumers to cover the environmental and social impact. This includes a ban on vague generic claims and on claims about an entire product when they only concern part of the product. The proposal also adds several new definitions – including the definition of an environmental claim.
In particular, the proposal bans displaying sustainability labels that are not based on independent third-party verification schemes/certification or established by public authorities.
