Greenwashing and green claims: what you can say

Greenwashing is presenting a product, service or company as more environmentally friendly than it really is: vague words like “green”, “eco” or “sustainable”, pictures of leaves and forests, promises of “zero impact” without proof. From 27 September 2026, many of these practices are banned in all circumstances across the European Union.

What is greenwashing

The word combines green and whitewashing (covering something with a coat of white paint). A company is greenwashing when it:

• uses generic words that can’t be checked (“eco-friendly”, “planet-friendly”, “natural”);
• talks about the whole product when the benefit only concerns a part (the packaging, one ingredient);
• presents a legal requirement as a merit (“CFC-free”, when CFCs are banned for everyone);
• promises future targets (“carbon neutral by 2030”) without a concrete plan;
• uses labels and badges that are made up or not certified by anyone.

What are green claims

Green claims (environmental claims) are any voluntary messages, in text, images, logos or symbols, suggesting that a product or company has a positive, zero or reduced impact on the environment, or harms it less than others. A green claim isn’t banned in itself: it’s banned when it’s generic, unproven or misleading.

The rules from 27 September 2026

EU Directive 2024/825 (also known as Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition) was transposed in Italy by Legislative Decree no. 30 of 20 February 2026, which amends the Italian Consumer Code. The new rules apply from 27 September 2026.

Practices banned in all circumstances

They were added to the “blacklist” of unfair commercial practices, which are banned in every case, without needing to prove anyone was misled:

1. Generic environmental claims (“eco-friendly”, “green”, “biodegradable”, “environmentally friendly”) if the company can’t demonstrate recognised excellent environmental performance, for example with the EU Ecolabel.
2. Sustainability labels not based on an independent certification scheme or not established by public authorities.
3. Claims about the whole product or company when they only concern one aspect.
4. Climate neutrality from offsetting: claiming a product has a neutral, reduced or positive climate impact based on offsetting emissions (for example planting trees elsewhere).
5. Presenting a legal requirement that applies to all products in the category as a distinctive feature.

Practices judged case by case

Claims about future environmental performance (“zero emissions by 2030”) also become misleading without clear, objective and verifiable commitments, a detailed implementation plan and regular checks by an independent expert.

Penalties

In Italy the AGCM (Italian Competition Authority) can fine unfair commercial practices from €5,000 to €10 million. For widespread infringements or those affecting several EU countries, the fine can reach 4% of annual turnover in Italy.

Real greenwashing examples

Three Italian cases often quoted:

Case	What happened	Outcome
Eni Diesel+	A diesel with a palm-oil component advertised as “green” and good for the environment	€5 million AGCM fine, upheld by the Lazio Regional Administrative Court in 2021
Shein	Vague environmental claims about the evoluSHEIN collection and emission-reduction targets	€1 million AGCM fine in August 2025
Alcantara v. Miko	The Dinamica microfibre presented as “environmentally friendly” and “100% recyclable” without proof	The Court of Gorizia, in an order of 26 November 2021, ordered the claims removed: considered the first greenwashing case decided by an Italian civil court

And some typical phrases you can no longer write without proof:

• “Eco-friendly product”
• “Sustainable packaging”
• “Zero-impact delivery” (because it’s offset)
• “Carbon neutral company” (if only thanks to carbon credits)
• “Biodegradable” without saying how long it takes and in what conditions

What to write instead

A good environmental claim says which part, what is different, with what proof (certification, percentage, standard). It often adds how to dispose of it.

Instead of…	Write…
Sustainable packaging	Aluminium tin, recyclable with metal waste
Eco packaging	Inner bag certified compostable to EN 13432
Zero-impact delivery	We fund a reforestation project for an amount of CO₂ equal to our deliveries
Green box	Box made from 80% recycled cardboard
Natural product	Ingredients: 100% green tea leaves from certified organic farming

Checklist before you publish

• Does the sentence say which part of the product it refers to?
• Is there a number or certification that proves it?
• Is the supporting document available if a customer asks?
• Will the sentence still be true tomorrow (suppliers, materials)?
• Do the images (leaves, soil, green colours) promise no more than the text?

What about the Green Claims Directive?

Alongside Directive 2024/825, in 2023 the European Commission proposed a second directive, the Green Claims Directive, with even more detailed rules on how to substantiate environmental claims. Negotiations stalled in June 2025 and on 4 November 2026 the Commission formally withdrew it. The rules of Directive 2024/825 and national consumer law therefore remain in force.

An example

On the back of the box from the fictional tea shop Five Leaf it said: “100% sustainable packaging. Zero-impact delivery.” A customer wrote: “You say sustainable, but there was bubble wrap in the box.” She was right: since October the filler had been plastic.

The new text uses only facts from the quality team’s sheet: recyclable tin, certified compostable bag, 80% recycled cardboard. No “100%”, no “zero impact”.

Words about sustainability build a brand only if they’re true: a sentence disproved by a customer costs more than a sentence never written. For the other brand tools, read what brand identity is and how to write your brand positioning.

Sources

• Directive (EU) 2024/825, official text on EUR-Lex
• Legislative Decree no. 30 of 20 February 2026: what changes (Osservatorio Bilanci di Sostenibilità, Italian)
• EU Commission scraps Green Claims Directive (ESG Today, 4 November 2026)
• Italian regulator fines Shein €1 million for greenwashing (Money.it, Italian)
• Eni Diesel+ fine upheld by the court (greenMe, Italian)
• Court of Gorizia, order of 26 November 2021 (Certifico, Italian)