{"id":2037,"date":"2026-09-21T08:05:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-21T08:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mebabioresine.it\/greenwashing-new-rules-for-environmental-claims-and-sustainability-labels-from-27-september-2026\/"},"modified":"2026-10-19T08:47:40","modified_gmt":"2026-10-19T08:47:40","slug":"greenwashing-new-rules-for-environmental-claims-and-sustainability-labels-from-27-september-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mebabioresine.it\/en\/greenwashing-new-rules-for-environmental-claims-and-sustainability-labels-from-27-september-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Greenwashing: New Rules for Environmental Claims and Sustainability Labels from 27 September 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"<style id=\"nectar-blocks-text-css\">span.nectar-blocks-text{display:block}.nectar-blocks-text{background-size:cover;transition:background-color .25s ease,color .25s ease}.nectar-blocks-text *{text-indent:0}.nectar-blocks-text__inner{position:relative}.nectar-blocks-text__fit-text{display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap}.nectar-blocks-text.text-animation--reveal .line,.nectar-blocks-text.text-animation--reveal .word{clip-path:inset(0 -10px)}.nectar-blocks-text.text-animation--target-character .word{display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap}.nectar-blocks-text.doing-text-animation .nectar-blocks-text__highlight svg{opacity:0}.nectar-blocks-text.doing-text-animation .nectar-blocks-text__highlight--underline{background-image:none!important}.nectar-blocks-text.is-animated .line,.nectar-blocks-text.is-animated .word{clip-path:none}.nectar-blocks-text.has-fit-text,.nectar-blocks-text.has-fit-text *{letter-spacing:0}.nectar-blocks-text.has-fit-text{opacity:0}.nectar-blocks-text.has-fit-text--loaded{opacity:1}.nectar-blocks-text.has-fit-text br{display:none!important}.nectar-blocks-text.has-fit-text{line-height:.9}.nectar-blocks-text.has-fit-text [class*=text-animation--]{line-height:1.1}.nectar-blocks-text.has-fit-text{padding-left:0!important;padding-right:0!important}.nectar-blocks-text.has-text-highlight{z-index:1}.nectar-blocks-text.has-text-highlight .nectar-blocks-text__highlight{display:inline-block;line-height:1.1;position:relative}.nectar-blocks-text.has-text-highlight .nectar-blocks-text__highlight--underline{display:inline!important}.nectar-blocks-text.has-text-highlight .nectar-blocks-text__highlight svg{content:\"\";display:block;height:60%;left:0;pointer-events:none;position:absolute!important;top:70%;width:100%;z-index:-1}.nectar-blocks-text.has-text-highlight .nectar-blocks-text__highlight svg path{stroke-dasharray:1}.nectar-blocks-text.has-text-highlight.doing-text-animation:not(.has-fit-text) .nectar-blocks-text__highlight{line-height:inherit}@media only screen and (min-width:1025px){.nectar-blocks-text.text-animation--desktop.pre-animated{opacity:0!important}.nectar-blocks-text.text-animation--desktop.has-text-highlight-animation .nectar-blocks-text__highlight svg path{opacity:0;stroke-dashoffset:1}}@media only screen and (max-width:1024px)and (min-width:768px){.nectar-blocks-text.text-animation--tablet.pre-animated{opacity:0!important}.nectar-blocks-text.text-animation--tablet.has-text-highlight-animation .nectar-blocks-text__highlight svg path{opacity:0;stroke-dashoffset:1}}@media only screen and (max-width:767px){.nectar-blocks-text.text-animation--mobile.pre-animated{opacity:0!important}.nectar-blocks-text.text-animation--mobile.has-text-highlight-animation .nectar-blocks-text__highlight svg path{opacity:0;stroke-dashoffset:1}}@media(prefers-reduced-motion:reduce){.nectar-blocks-text{transition:none}.nectar-blocks-text.pre-animated{opacity:1!important}}\n<\/style>\n<p id=\"block-J7zpgKp1v8\" class=\"wp-block-nectar-blocks-text nectar-blocks-text nectar-font-body\">From 27 September 2026, the provisions introduced by Legislative <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/eur-lex.europa.eu\/legal-content\/IT\/TXT\/HTML\/?uri=OJ:L_202400825\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Decree No. 30 of 20 February 202<\/a>6<\/strong>, transposing <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gazzettaufficiale.it\/atto\/serie_generale\/caricaDettaglioAtto\/originario?atto.dataPubblicazioneGazzetta=2026-03-09&amp;atto.codiceRedazionale=26G00047&amp;elenco30giorni=false\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Directive (EU) 2024\/825<\/a>,<\/strong> known as the Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition (EmpCo) Directive, will become applicable in Italy. The legislation aims to strengthen consumer protection and combat greenwashing by introducing stricter rules for environmental claims about products and services. <\/p>\n\n<p id=\"block-t90lbstfJH\" class=\"wp-block-nectar-blocks-text nectar-blocks-text nectar-font-body\">The new provisions apply to all businesses operating in the B2C market and cover packaging, labels, websites, catalogues, advertising and, more generally, all forms of commercial communication directed at consumers.<\/p>\n\n<h3 id=\"block-PfVKzmeqce\" class=\"wp-block-nectar-blocks-text nectar-blocks-text\"><strong>What Is the Empowering Consumers Directive?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n<p id=\"block-IzxAS0j7bh\" class=\"wp-block-nectar-blocks-text nectar-blocks-text nectar-font-body\">Directive (EU) 2024\/825 is one of the tools the European Union uses to promote a transition towards more sustainable consumption patterns. Its aim is to ensure that consumers can make informed choices based on reliable, verifiable, and comparable environmental information, reducing the risk of misleading messages or claims that are not adequately supported by evidence. <\/p>\n\n<p id=\"block-IrOxwavgpG\" class=\"wp-block-nectar-blocks-text nectar-blocks-text nectar-font-body\">The Directive introduces a broader definition of \u201cgreen claims\u201d, covering any message, symbol, image, label or statement that asserts or implies that a product, packaging, brand or company has a positive environmental impact, is less harmful than equivalent alternatives, or has improved its environmental performance over time.<\/p>\n\n<p id=\"block-d1E8NPU6k8\" class=\"wp-block-nectar-blocks-text nectar-blocks-text nectar-font-body\">The underlying principle is that environmental claims must be clear, specific, and unambiguous, and must be supported by adequate, verifiable evidence. It is not only the ability to substantiate a claim that matters, but also how it is communicated and perceived by consumers. <\/p>\n\n<h3 id=\"block-euD1l5OZsL\" class=\"wp-block-nectar-blocks-text nectar-blocks-text\"><strong>Stop to Generic Environmental Claims<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n<p id=\"block-0R6VcoAkfg\" class=\"wp-block-nectar-blocks-text nectar-blocks-text nectar-font-body\">One of the key changes concerns so-called generic environmental claims, meaning expressions that suggest general environmental superiority without providing specific, verifiable information. Terms such as \u201cgreen\u201d, \u201ceco-friendly\u201d, \u201csustainable\u201d, \u201cenvironmentally friendly\u201d and similar wording can no longer be used as mere promotional slogans. The legislation restricts the use of generic environmental claims that are not accompanied by adequate evidence to substantiate their meaning and scope.  <\/p>\n\n<p id=\"block-5EfRtubjtY\" class=\"wp-block-nectar-blocks-text nectar-blocks-text nectar-font-body\">For businesses, it is therefore essential to use specific, measurable statements supported by documented evidence. For example, communications that describe a product\u2019s or packaging\u2019s environmental characteristics in concrete terms are more consistent with the new approach. These may include the presence of recycled materials, a quantified reduction in environmental impacts, or the recyclability of packaging within the available waste collection systems. <\/p>\n\n<h3 id=\"block-IWLWf8lFiD\" class=\"wp-block-nectar-blocks-text nectar-blocks-text\"><strong>Stricter Controls on Environmental Labels and Symbols<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n<p id=\"block-L5kZEo9OBt\" class=\"wp-block-nectar-blocks-text nectar-blocks-text nectar-font-body\">The Directive also introduces new rules for <strong>sustainability labels<\/strong> and symbols used to communicate environmental benefits.<\/p>\n\n<p id=\"block-ppaPGKLE3S\" class=\"wp-block-nectar-blocks-text nectar-blocks-text nectar-font-body\">In particular, the display of sustainability labels that are not based on recognised certification schemes or established by public authorities is prohibited. The aim is to limit the proliferation of self-declared labels and symbols that may confuse consumers and undermine the comparability of environmental information.<br\/>Companies will therefore need to carefully verify the compliance of the sustainability labels, logos, and environmental symbols used in their communications.  <\/p>\n\n<h3 id=\"block-2NDBUuGTTz\" class=\"wp-block-nectar-blocks-text nectar-blocks-text\"><strong>Beware of Climate Claims<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n<p id=\"block-gOTQFsUTLq\" class=\"wp-block-nectar-blocks-text nectar-blocks-text nectar-font-body\">The legislation also introduces provisions to ensure greater transparency and accuracy in claims relating to greenhouse gas emissions. The Directive restricts the use of statements such as \u201ccarbon neutral\u201d, \u201cclimate neutral\u201d, \u201czero climate impact\u201d and equivalent expressions when these results are achieved solely through greenhouse gas emission offsetting mechanisms. <\/p>\n\n<h3 id=\"block-Jp5RBSv30V\" class=\"wp-block-nectar-blocks-text nectar-blocks-text\"><strong>No Exaggerating or Overstating Limited Environmental Benefits<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n<p id=\"block-nCijGGkttp\" class=\"wp-block-nectar-blocks-text nectar-blocks-text nectar-font-body\">The new provisions also address how environmental information is presented. It will no longer be possible to attribute environmental benefits to an entire product or package when they apply only to one component or a specific stage of its life cycle. Similarly, businesses will not be able to present compliance with existing legal requirements as a distinctive feature of their offering.  <\/p>\n\n<h3 id=\"block-iXTXKz6cd4\" class=\"wp-block-nectar-blocks-text nectar-blocks-text\"><strong>Implications for Businesses<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n<p id=\"block-sKtRanhaCH\" class=\"wp-block-nectar-blocks-text nectar-blocks-text nectar-font-body\">The entry into application of the legislation requires companies to thoroughly review their environmental communications.<\/p>\n\n<p id=\"block-BVKxDQpkZ1\" class=\"wp-block-nectar-blocks-text nectar-blocks-text nectar-font-body\">Packaging, etichette, campagne pubblicitarie, siti internet, cataloghi, materiali promozionali e contenuti digitali dovranno essere riesaminati per assicurare che i claim utilizzati siano chiari, specifici, verificabili e supportati da adeguata documentazione. Sar\u00e0 inoltre necessario rafforzare il coordinamento tra funzioni marketing, sostenibilit\u00e0, affari regolatori e compliance, al fine di garantire processi efficaci di validazione delle informazioni ambientali. <\/p>\n\n<h3 id=\"block-eViXHZm4YB\" class=\"wp-block-nectar-blocks-text nectar-blocks-text\"><strong>A Key Issue for the Packaging Industry<br\/> <br\/><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n<p id=\"block-iN70inblqF\" class=\"wp-block-nectar-blocks-text nectar-blocks-text nectar-font-body\">Per il settore degli imballaggi, le nuove regole si inseriscono in un quadro normativo europeo sempre pi\u00f9 orientato alla trasparenza e all\u2019affidabilit\u00e0 delle informazioni ambientali. La corretta comunicazione delle caratteristiche degli imballaggi rappresenta infatti uno strumento essenziale per supportare scelte consapevoli dei consumatori e valorizzare in modo credibile gli investimenti delle imprese nell\u2019economia circolare. <\/p>\n\n<p id=\"block-q5KXKsodHu\" class=\"wp-block-nectar-blocks-text nectar-blocks-text nectar-font-body\">The implementation of the EmpCo Directive marks an important step towards clearer, better-documented, and more comparable environmental communication, where the credibility of information becomes a key element in the relationship between businesses and consumers.<\/p>\n\n<p id=\"block-2i3hEdTKSS\" class=\"wp-block-nectar-blocks-text nectar-blocks-text nectar-font-body\">For further insights and information, please visit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.etichetta-conai.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">www.etichetta-conai.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<p id=\"block-NRvvQAjc3K\" class=\"wp-block-nectar-blocks-text nectar-blocks-text\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":2038,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_nectar_blocks_hide_post_title":false,"_nectar_blocks_transparent_header_effect":false,"_nectar_blocks_transparent_header_effect_color":"light","_nectar_blocks_header_animation":false,"_nectar_blocks_header_animation_delay":0,"_nectar_blocks_header_animation_effect":"fade","_nectar_blocks_page_css":"","_nectar_blocks_page_js":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18,14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2037","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tutti","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mebabioresine.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2037","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mebabioresine.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mebabioresine.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mebabioresine.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mebabioresine.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2037"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.mebabioresine.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2037\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2039,"href":"https:\/\/www.mebabioresine.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2037\/revisions\/2039"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mebabioresine.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2038"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mebabioresine.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2037"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mebabioresine.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2037"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mebabioresine.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2037"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}