Goodbye greenwashing? Finally.

Europe is waving greenwashing goodbye, and Naturis helps you to comply.

You have probably noticed it when looking at the labels on the shelf of your favorite supermarket: environmental claims. They are everywhere. You can find them on labels of a wide variety of goods, from food to clothing. They are brought to life to gain your trust, but the jungle of vague claims eventually feeds your lack of trust.

Generic phrases such as ‘eco,’ ‘natural,’ or ‘nature-friendly’ inducing consumers to buy ‘environmentally friendly’ products are referring to an assumed standard that nobody believes or even understands. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the EU is about to tackle this problem.

How does the EU intend to stop greenwashing on product labels?

On September 19^th, the EU Parliament released the latest draft of the new green claims directive, guiding brand owners on how to communicate transparently on their sustainability claims. It can be considered as a uniformisation of practices ensuring clear and transparent communication and rebuilding the trust factor of brands.

At Naturis, we produce high-quality plant-based ingredients with certified responsibility from the field to your plant, ready to consume. We provide leading food companies with 100% naturally processed pulses, grains, seeds, and rice with easy-to-apply and versatile characteristics. Our products save you time, providing you stability in the production process, and offering you certified processed ingredients. We can help you obtain claims that make a real difference or a clean label that can be trusted.

What will the impact of the Green Claims Directive of 19^th September be?

If the text gets approved, from 2026, it will no longer be possible to write phrases such as ‘zero impact’ or ‘carbon neutral’ on packaging unless the content of the claim can be demonstrated. It is also intended to stop the exploitation, for advertising purposes, of the trading of uncertified CO2 credits.

What goods is the Green Claims Directive referring to? 

The new rules will apply to any goods, not just food and beverages. Companies will therefore have to reformulate the claims on their labels. Also, in order to claim any kind of environmental characteristic, they will have to refer to specific regulations that define the criteria in a uniform way.

Proper energy labeling, for example, will have to refer to Regulation 2017/1369, while Ecolabel is governed by Regulation (EC) No. 66/2010. At Naturis, we can provide guarantees such as reduced arsenic in rice but also allergen-, or gluten-free claims. The Green Claims Directive also includes a section on the durability of goods, planned obsolescence, warranties, and related labels.

What are the next steps after this draft around the Green Claims Directive?

When is the green claim directive likely going to be approved? 

A provisional agreement has been reached on the text between Parliament and the Council, but the final vote is likely to come in November.

Is there a good chance the green claim directive is being approved? 

The vote will come in an expiring parliament, under the eyes of voters who will have to renew it in the spring of 2024. According to the latest Eurobarometer, however, more than 77% of Europeans believe that climate change is a crucial issue. A large proportion of these voters would probably dislike politicians’ condescension to those who only pretend to make efforts to reduce emissions and mislead consumers.

On the other hand, parliamentarians are also sensitive to the demands of companies. As we have already recounted for the issues concerning livestock farming and Pfas, in recent months we have seen several cases of watering down the ‘Green Deal ‘ and, more generally, environmental protection regulations.

What happens once the Green Claim Directive has been approved? 

• Once approval is obtained, member states have 24 months to transpose it.
• The Federation of European Consumer Associations Beuc’s director Ursula Pachl pointed out: “Environmental labels are now everywhere, and consumers find them in so many types of goods, from food to clothing. The result is a jungle in which they often become disoriented, resulting in a general loss of trust. At last, some order is brought and the producer is obliged to explain why and how his product is environmentally friendly.”

Are you a food company looking for new ideas, solutions, or tailor-made ingredients for innovative applications? Are you a distributor or wholesaler interested in our products and applications? Are you interested in private labeling? Contact us today at info@naturis.com or call us at +32 477 90 06 72.