Competition Office: there is a difference between the content of “green” advertising messages and the consumer’s interpretation

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According to the announcement of the Competition Authority on Friday, as part of the market analysis, the GVH reviewed the communications of 60 Hungarian websites in February 2023 with a comprehensive quick check. The investigation focused on “green” claims for clothing products, cosmetics, cleaning products, and the packaging of daily consumer goods, they explained.

The results of the analysis show that Hungarian businesses communicate about sustainability with long interpretations and in an unsystematic way

General statements (such as “green”, “environmentally conscious”) are common, the substantiation of which is difficult to find on the given website, or is only available to the consumer in English, often on the website of the parent company. The analysis also highlights that in several cases the steps taken to protect the environment can be perceived as a description of the company’s business policy, rather than as precisely substantiated claims about its products.

At the same time, the GVH’s investigation also found positive examples among Hungarian enterprises

For example, a “sustainability glossary” that helps in the interpretation of green statements, or a transparent and understandable presentation of the company’s environmental protection activities.

MTI