Tackling greenwashing and ensuring transparency in packaging through the Green Claims Directive
By Steve Claus, Secretary General, Steel for Packaging Europe
Steel for Packaging Europe (SfPE) has reiterated its support for the Green Claims Directive (GCD) and the importance of ensuring that environmental claims are transparent, substantiated and based on reliable, up-to-date data.
It follows the European Parliament’s approval of its provisional agreement with the Council on the GCD in 2024, which introduces specific requirements for environmental claims and amends the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive (Directive 2005/29). It is widely expected that the directive will be adopted in the year ahead, and SfPE believes the importance of businesses adhering to internationally recognised standards, such as ISO 14040-44 for Life Cycle Assessments and ISO 14026 for environmental footprint communication, cannot be overstated. These standards provide a vital framework necessary for companies to substantiate their claims with scientific evidence, ensuring the credibility and consistency of environmental claims across the industry, helping consumers to make informed purchasing decisions.
Meanwhile, potentially misleading claims made by some businesses continue to undermine consumer trust, negatively impacting on credible efforts to promote circularity and complicating the journey towards a more circular economy.
SfPE believes two IFEU studies[1] comparing the greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) of various packaging formats, particularly food multi-layer cartons and steel cans, are indicative of these challenges. In partnership with Metal Packaging Europe, SfPE commissioned an independent third party[2] review of the studies, to ensure they align with the ISO 14040-44 standards for LCA (Life Cycle Assessment), ISO 14026 for footprint communication, and the proposed EU Green Claims Directive.
This review has revealed relevant limitations on data quality and methodology that could negatively affect the reliability and robustness of comparisons for the analysed packaging systems, notably concerning GHG emissions of different packaging formats, and their reported collection rates versus what is really recycled.
These critical limitations will be explored in a forthcoming series of articles highlighting the importance of providing credible, comparable and transparent environmental data to foster consumer trust, and facilitate the drive towards a more sustainable, circular economy.
Ultimately, the GCD will play a vital role in safeguarding consumers and the environment by setting clear standards for the accuracy and transparency of environmental claims, helping consumers to make a positive choice for the environment.
SfPE will continue to work in close collaboration with its partners and stakeholders throughout the value chain to help achieve the European Commission’s aim to establish a more reliable, comparable and verifiable system across the EU.
For further resources on sustainable packaging practices, including the full third-party review please click here
[1] IFEU, 2017. Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of shelf stable canned food packaging, Final Report. Heidelberg, December 2017. IFEU, 2020. Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Tetra Pak® carton packages and alternative packaging systems for beverages and liquid food on the European market. Final report. Heidelberg, March 9, 2020 (extended version with further specific supplements for selected EU countries).