Companies that market their products or services as eco-friendly are to be scrutinised by the UK competition watchdog to make sure they live up to the claim and do not mislead consumers. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it was concerned that a rise in demand for green goods could encourage some businesses to make misleading claims about the environmental impact of what they are selling. Last year, consumers spent £41bn on goods and services that were billed as ethical or environmentally friendly, according to a Co-op report, including travel, food and fashion. As part of the work, the CMA is asking consumers to fill in a survey telling the regulator what they expect from eco-friendly products and how much the claims influence their buying decisions. She said: “While this reflects a growing drive by both businesses and consumers for less environmentally damaging products, many such claims are clearly greenwash.

Source: The Guardian November 02, 2020 17:34 UTC