Turn an environmental product claim into a question you can check. What does the wording cover, compared with what, and which evidence supports it? A broad impression is not the same thing as an explanation of a particular benefit.
The UK Competition and Markets Authority’s Green Claims Code provides guidance for environmental marketing and consumer checks. Use it as a questioning framework, not as grounds to accuse a named business of unlawful conduct without examining the facts.
The scope of a claim is often the most useful detail to collect. A statement about packaging can be recorded beside the packaging material, while a statement about the product belongs beside the product itself. This makes the evidence easier to compare across purchases.
Identify the scope
Copy the actual wording before interpreting it. Does it describe the packaging, one ingredient, a manufacturing stage, the whole product or the business? Look for qualifications and whether they are clear enough to understand alongside the claim.
Record the specific part of the product or packaging that the statement covers. Evidence about the container can be assessed separately from evidence about its contents.
Ask for the comparison
| Claim element | Question |
|---|---|
| Better or reduced | Compared with which stated baseline? |
| Material description | Which part and proportion does it cover? |
| Certification | Which scheme and criteria apply? |
| Lifecycle statement | Which stages and impact categories are included? |
| Supporting evidence | Can you find the relevant, current information? |
A certification logo deserves a check against the scheme’s own rules. It should not be treated as a guarantee about every environmental aspect of the product.
Allow an inconclusive result
If the evidence is absent or does not answer the question, record that limitation. Missing information does not authorise inventing either a benefit or a breach. If the claim needs clarification, keep that question alongside the other purchase requirements and the evidence available for them.
Analyse a fictional packaging statement
Imagine a statement reading made with recycled packaging. Start by asking which component it covers, what recycled content means in the statement and what supporting information is available. Keep the quoted scope attached to the packaging question.
If a comparison such as lower impact is also presented, look for its baseline and the impact being compared. A reduction in one measured aspect may be useful evidence for that aspect, with the other purchase requirements considered separately.
Keep an evidence record for the decision
| Field | What to preserve |
|---|---|
| Exact claim | Wording and where it appeared |
| Scope | Product, packaging or named component |
| Comparison | Stated baseline and measure |
| Support | Relevant document or explanation |
| Open question | Detail needed for a fair assessment |
The CMA’s Green Claims Code provides a framework for examining environmental marketing in its UK context. It can guide questions while any legal assessment of a named claim needs the relevant facts and applicable rules.
If a detail remains unavailable, record that limit and continue with the requirements that can be established. This makes the buying decision transparent about its evidence. It also gives a supplier a specific question to answer, such as the component covered or the comparison used, instead of a broad request to explain sustainability.
Some comparisons will remain open while information is missing. A short note such as baseline not specified identifies exactly what would help. The other purchase requirements, including suitability and durability information where available, can still be considered alongside that open question.
Sources consulted
- Green Claims Code — UK Competition and Markets Authority; consulted 3 November 2026.