New European rules to combat greenwashing and make repairs easier

Repairing broken products should be easier

Often broken products are replaced, while repair can also be a great option. Disposing of discarded products generates 35 million tons of waste per year in the EU alone. This is not good for the environment, nor is it good for the consumer's wallet. This why the European Commission has proposed new rules to make repairing products easier and cheaper. This reduces waste and saves consumers money. It also boosts the repair industry and encourages sustainability for parties such as manufacturers and repairers.

Right to Repair

Does the product break down within the statutory warranty period? In most of such cases, the seller must offer to repair the product for the consumer, but only if repair is cheaper than replacement. Consumers are given options to repair the product even after the warranty period:

• Consumers will soon be able to demand that a manufacturer repair the broken product. For example, this will apply to washing machines and television sets.
• Consumers will soon have access to the repair terms and prices. This makes it easier for consumers to compare repair offers.
• There will be a European quality assessment for repair shops. This helps consumers find a repair shop that complies with quality standards.
• An online repair platform will be launched to connect consumers with nearby local repair shops and sellers of repaired products.

Greenwashing and misleading environmental claims

Most consumers want to consume sustainably. But some companies pretend to be greener or more socially responsible than they really are. This phenomenon is called greenwashing.

It is often difficult for consumers to verify whether vague sustainability claims such as ‘ocean-friendly product’ or ‘carbon-neutral delivery’ are real. The European Commission’s 2020 research found that 53.5% of environmental claims investigated in the EU were vague, misleading or unfounded, and 40% of claims were unsubstantiated.

As a result, the Commission wants to better protect consumers so they can make a truly green choice. Is something being sold as ‘green’? Then the consumer must be able to rely on this indication being true. Under the Commission's new proposal, manufacturers must prove the environmental claims on their products. Claims must now meet the following conditions:

• Claims must be well substantiated and the company must communicate this clearly. The Commission has designed this proposal to better protect consumers. Is something being sold as ‘green’? Then the consumer must be able to rely on this indication being true.
• Claims must be independently verified in advance.
• Claims must be scientifically substantiated.

Environmental labels

The new proposal also comes with rules for environmental labels. These must be reliable and transparent. There are now more than 200 different labels. This is very confusing for consumers. To eliminate confusion, governments should no longer establish new labelling schemes unless they are developed at the EU level. There will also be tighter rules for existing schemes.

Read more about the proposal to combat greenwashing and misleading environmental claims on the European Commission's website.

Next steps

Both European Commission proposals are still being debated in the European Parliament and in the European Council. The law will not come into force in the EU until EU countries and Parliament approve the proposal. This process will take at least another year.