The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has announced that it will be investigating environmental claims made by Unilever, as part of its wider investigation into greenwashing. The move follows concerns around how Unilever is marketing certain products to customers as environmentally friendly.

In January this year, the CMA expanded its work on environmental claims to include fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG). These are essential items that people use on a daily basis and are repurchased regularly, such as food and drink, cleaning products, toiletries, and personal care items. 

The CMA’s initial review uncovered a range of what it has called “concerning practices”. As a result, it will now concerns including whether: 

• certain statements and language used by Unilever appear vague and broad, and may mislead shoppers regarding the environmental impact of those products.
• claims about some ingredients are presented in a way that may exaggerate how ‘natural’ the product is, and so may create an inaccurate or misleading impression.
• claims focusing on a single aspect of a product may suggest it is environmentally friendly as a whole.
• Unilever’s use of colours and imagery – such as green leaves – may create the overall impression that some products are more environmentally friendly than they actually are.

Sarah Cardell, chief executive of the CMA, said: “Essentials like detergent, kitchen spray, and toiletries are the kinds of items you put in your supermarket basket every time you shop. More and more people are trying to do their bit to help protect the environment, but we’re worried many are being misled by so-called ‘green’ products that aren’t what they seem.

“So far, the evidence we’ve seen has raised concerns about how Unilever presents certain products as environmentally friendly. We’ll be drilling down into these claims to see if they measure up. If we find they’re greenwashing, we’ll take action to make sure shoppers are protected.”

Unilever says it is “surprised and disappointed” by the development, and refutes that its claims are in “any way misleading”. A spokesperson for the company said: “Unilever is committed to making responsible claims about the benefits of our products on our packs and to these being transparent and clear, and we have robust processes in place to make sure any claims can be substantiated.”

Main image: Unilever