53% environmental claims vague or unfounded, 40% lack evidence; greenwashing can occur even when claim is technically true; EU and UK sustainability regulations tightening significantly; printing industry faces particular risks around terms like ‘biodegradable’, ‘compostable’, and ‘ecofriendly’; ‘lifecycle thinking’ essential to avoid misleading claims as improvements in one stage may hide negative impacts elsewhere
FESPA has launched a new anti-greenwashing sustainability guide, designed to help businesses across the print and visual communications industries navigate the ever-changing regulatory landscape. It advises on how businesses can ensure their sustainability messaging is accurate, credible, and evidence-based – and ultimately avoid ‘greenwashing’.
The informative guide, titled Understanding and Avoiding Greenwash, is part of FESPA’s Sustainability Spotlight initiative and it provides practical guidance for companies striving to communicate their improved, greener business operations responsibly while avoiding the reputational and legal risks associated with misleading claims.
Compliance Amid Confusion
As sustainability becomes a major purchasing criterion for brands and consumers alike, the pressure on businesses to demonstrate environmental responsibility has increased significantly over the last decade. At the same time, governments and regulators across the UK and EU are tightening legislation to prevent misleading or unsubstantiated environmental claims. The guide responds to this changing landscape by helping businesses understand what constitutes greenwashing and how to ensure their claims meet regulatory expectations.
Research cited in the guide highlights the scale of the challenge. More than 53% of environmental claims are vague, misleading, or unfounded, while 40% lack supporting evidence. In addition, the EU alone currently has more than 230 sustainability labels and 100 green energy labels, many with varying levels of transparency and verification. These inconsistencies can create confusion for both businesses and consumers – and the need for guidance is clear.
Making Statements
The guide highlights that claims which are technically true may still be considered misleading if they omit relevant information, exaggerate benefits, or fail to reflect the full lifecycle impact of a product. As such, generic statements such as ‘eco-friendly’ or ‘sustainable’, without substantiation, are increasingly falling under regulatory scrutiny.
To help businesses avoid these pitfalls, the guide outlines the key principles underpinning environmental claims legislation in the UK and the EU.
These frameworks require that claims are clear, specific, evidence-based, and verifiable. Claims also need to consider the entire lifecycle of a product, where relevant.
Spotlighting Supply Chains
A key focus of the guide is the growing importance of supply chain transparency. Even businesses that operate primarily in business-to-business markets may be required to provide evidence that supports sustainability claims made by their customers. As a result, organisations must maintain robust documentation and ensure that information from suppliers can support any environmental claims made about products or services.
The guide also highlights upcoming regulatory developments, including the EU’s Directive on Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition, which will introduce stricter requirements on environmental claims when fully implemented by 2026. These changes are expected to place greater emphasis on substantiated claims, certification schemes, and transparency around carbon-related claims and offsets.
Bigger Picture
In addition to regulatory compliance, the guide encourages businesses to adopt a ‘lifecycle and systems-thinking’ approach to sustainability. By examining the full environmental impact of products – from raw materials and manufacturing to distribution, use and end-of-life – organisations can communicate accurately and effectively. This approach not only helps them to avoid greenwashing, it supports transparency across the supply chain too.
The guide features practical advice for companies to demonstrate their environmental consciousness without greenwashing. For example, they can use recognised certifications and improve their internal processes to support and validate their claims. The guide encourages collaboration across supply chains and emphasises the importance of listening to customer concerns while communicating sustainability initiatives clearly and responsibly.
Ultimately, FESPA’s Understanding and Avoiding Greenwash guide highlights that credible sustainability is no longer defined by ambition alone; it’s achieved with clarity, evidence, and transparency across the entire value chain. As regulatory scrutiny intensifies, businesses that move beyond generic claims to robust, lifecycle-based communications will be best-placed to protect their reputation and support their customers. By equipping the print and visual communications industry with practical, actionable guidance, FESPA is helping them to confidently move from broad sustainability statements to precise, verifiable claims that align with regulatory requirements, as well as stakeholder and customers’ trust.
