Unilever is being investigated in the UK over “green” claims about its products

Unilever is being investigated in the UK over “green” claims about its products

An “initial review” of Unilever’s marketing tactics “revealed a number of concerning practices,” the Competition and Markets Authority said in a statement on Tuesday.

The CMA is concerned that Unilever is “overstating the environmental credentials of certain products through vague and broad claims, recycling and ambiguous claims about ‘natural’-looking images and logos”.

The move is part of the regulator’s wider investigation into “greenwashing” by companies, which in January expanded to include fast-moving consumer goods companies such as Unilever.

“Each time you shop at the supermarket, essentials like laundry detergent, kitchen spray and toiletries are among the things you put in your basket,” said CMA Director Sarah Cordell. More and more people are trying to do their part to protect the environment, but we worry that many are being misled by so-called “green” products.

According to the CMA, Unilever’s claims about certain ingredients may exaggerate how natural the product is, while using images such as green leaves may give the impression that certain products are more environmentally friendly than they actually are.

The CMA continued that claims about the recyclability of some products “are unclear as they do not specify whether they relate to the whole product or part of the packaging”.

Unilever said it was “surprised and disappointed” by the investigation but was cooperating with the CMA. “We deny that our claims are false in any way,” a company spokesperson said in a statement.

“Unilever is committed to making responsible claims about the benefits of our products on our packaging and making them transparent and legible,” the spokesperson added.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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Source: edition.cnn.com