Consumer surveys consistently demonstrate that environmental claims have an impact on consumer behaviour. Yet misleading claims remain widespread. This is notably the case for claims on bottles of water packaged in single-use plastics claiming that they are “100% recyclable” and/or “made of 100% recycled plastic”. Plastic water bottles are one of Europe’s most frequently purchased consumer products, a well-recognised source of plastic pollution and other environmental harm. Yet they remain widely promoted through claims relating to recycling. These claims promote the idea of “plastic bottle circularity” i.e., that plastic bottles are recycled over and over to make new plastic bottles, so neutralising the impacts of plastics on the environment. Such claims are also either vague, factually inaccurate, or otherwise not substantiated. According to our analysis, these claims infringe EU Directive 2005/29/EC on unfair commercial practices (UCPD). Ultimately, they also prevent consumers being empowered to make better informed choices and to play their role in the green transition.

In this context, BEUC together with 14 national consumer organisations from 13 European countries submitted an alert to the European Commission and the European network of consumer authorities (CPC-Network) reporting several traders using such misleading claims. This report was prepared with the technical support and expertise of ClientEarth and ECOS.