The UK’s competition regulator is to examine ‘green’ claims made by Unilever PLC (LSE:ULVR) to make sure shoppers aren’t being misled.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is concerned that Unilever, the maker of Persil and Dove, may be overstating how green certain products are through the use of vague and broad claims, unclear statements around recyclability, and ‘natural’ looking images and logos.
The move comes as part of the CMA’s wider investigation into greenwashing and follows concerns around how Unilever is marketing certain products, within some brands, to customers as environmentally friendly.
The CMA said it would investigate claims that some ingredients are presented in a way that may exaggerate how ‘natural’ the product is and that certain green claims – particularly in relation to recyclability – may be unclear.
Sarah Cardell, chief executive of the CMA, said: “We’ll be drilling down into these claims to see if they measure up.
“If we find they’re greenwashing, we’ll take action to make sure shoppers are protected.
“More and more people are trying to do their bit to help protect the environment, but we’re worried many are being misled by so-called ‘green’ products that aren’t what they seem,” she added.