Well-known companies only pretended to be “eco”? They face severe punishment

Entrepreneurs are perfectly aware that nowadays it is fashionable to be “eco”. However, this does not always go hand in hand with real actions. The Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) is checking whether, in the case of several well-known companies, consumers made decisions based on a false “green” image. These include companies such as Bolt, Tchibo, and Zara. If the allegations are confirmed, fines may reach up to 10%. turnover for each contested practice.

Bolt, Tchibo and Zara targeted by the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection

– Research confirms that Polish consumers are among the most trusting in the EU towards environmental declarations and, statistically, they believe them significantly more often than the average EU citizen. Green slogans cannot be a shortcut or a guessing game: if a company says “100%”, “emission-free” or “recyclable”, it must mean exactly that – clearly, with data and on a scale that can be verified – emphasizes Tomasz Chróstny, president of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection.

In the case of Bolt, the allegations concern the way the company communicates “zero-emission vehicles” and the type of energy it uses in the services it offers, such as ride-hailing, food delivery, car rentals and micromobility. As the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection points out, the problem begins when the slogan suggests a standard that applies only to a certain aspect of the business or one of the stages in the entire life cycle of electric vehicles. Messages about “zero-emission vehicles” – e.g. as part of “Project Zero” when announcing an increase in the number of zero-emission vehicles – may create the consumer’s feeling that the Bolt group’s services are provided mainly by electric vehicles, or that the number of “zero-emission trips” is dominant. Meanwhile, services are provided primarily by combustion cars, and the share of electric vehicles is very limited. Additionally, “zero-emission” may be understood as zero emissions at all, unless it is clarified that such a term applies only to the driving stage, and not to emissions throughout the vehicle’s life cycle.

– The same applies to the slogan “100 percent renewable energy” for offices, warehouses and charging stations. In practice, it is 100 percent. may be based largely on certificates (EAC) that compensate for the energy consumed, and not on direct purchase of energy from renewable energy sources. If this is not explained clearly and simply, the message may mislead consumers – emphasizes the office.

What doubts about Tchibo?

In the case of Tchibo, the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection emphasizes that in the online store and application, individual products are distinguished with slogans such as “eco”, “sustainable” or the green leaf symbol. However, there is no equally clear information on what exactly this means and what criteria these products must meet. There are also concerns about the way they are qualified and the extremely low thresholds that make this possible.

– On the Tchibo website, consumers could find products with this distinction, even though they are largely made of synthetic materials, such as polyester, polyamide, polyacrylic, which are generally made from fossil raw materials. In the case of the so-called hard products, i.e. other than food or textiles, the entrepreneur distinguished as “eco” products, for example, products containing only 10%. recycled materials – informs the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection.

A separate thread concerns Cafissimo capsules and communication regarding their recycling. In its marketing messages, Tchibo emphasizes that the capsules are “recyclable”, “made only from recyclable materials” and that when thrown into a yellow container or bag for metal and plastic waste, they “return to the material cycle”. The Office notes that such a message may lead the consumer to the conclusion that this process is universal and unconditional. Meanwhile, the limitation of the declaration is indicated only in the form of a note on the product packaging that it applies only to Germany and Austria and is given in English and German, which meant that Polish consumers buying online did not have full information. Recycling conditions in Poland are also important in this matter. In practice, unemptied capsules are often not processed, so the message about them “returning to the material flow” can be misleading.

Referring to doubts regarding Zara, the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection draws attention to “Join life”. This is the name of the company’s section and communications on the website and in the application, where it describes its activities and goals related to the environment and a “sustainable” approach. Within it and on product cards, general “green” slogans and assurances appeared, including about renewable energy, “zero waste”, “net zero emissions”, implementation of the “UN Sustainable Development Goals” and programs to guarantee compliance with standards. However, these declarations did not provide clear information about their scope, scale and limitations.

– The “Join life” tabs also included messages about “responsible and sustainable management of natural resources”, reducing water consumption and protecting biodiversity. The consumer may have had the impression that the declared effects and standards apply broadly to the company’s activities or that the purchase of Zara clothing actually supports these goals. Such a message, often presented alongside references to environmental certification of products, could additionally suggest that the purchase of goods supports the implementation of important social and environmental goals and that the company “guarantees” compliance with social and environmental standards thanks to monitoring programs and audits – indicates the office.

– For example, the slogan “zero waste in own facilities” in Poland could apply only to a small part of the chain – even 1 out of 40 stores – and not to all outlets. At the same time, declarations such as: “100% renewable energy in our installations”, i.e. in stores and offices, “Zero waste”, “Net zero emissions” appeared on the website. These slogans are given in general terms, without indicating the scope and scale of activities, so consumers may interpret them as a description of the entirety of the company’s activities or effects, while their meaning is very limited. – he adds.

In the case of product cards and certificate markings, consumers can see the percentage of raw material and the certificate abbreviation, which can easily be read as an indication that almost all the product meets a certain standard. Meanwhile, the actual share of certified raw material may vary. The Office of Competition and Consumer Protection’s doubts concern the omission of key information: how much certified raw material is actually in the material, what is the share of recycling, what exactly the indicated certificate means and what it actually guarantees. As a result, consumers’ conclusions about the scale of a product’s “sustainability” or the impact of a purchase on environmental goals may be incorrect.

How not to be fooled by an eco-scheme?

The Office of Competition and Consumer Protection emphasizes that it has recently taken further actions regarding the so-called greenwashing, commonly known as eco-scheme. Recently, charges have been brought against, among others: Allegro, DHL, DPD and InPost.

How not to get caught by an eco-crime? The office emphasizes that all “eco” declarations should be supported by specific data. You should pay attention to whether the company provides, for example, the names of materials, the percentage of ingredients, and the source of origin. You should also not rely solely on the graphic design. The color green, pictures of leaves or a planet are often only graphic elements that suggestively influence perception, and not proof of the ecological nature of the product. It’s also worth remembering that slogans like “greener than others” have no value if they don’t clearly indicate what exactly they’re referring to.

– Remember that “green” in one aspect does not necessarily mean that the entire product is environmentally friendly – summarizes the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection.