Is “eco-friendly” banned in the EU? What changes from 27 September 2026
Updated 14 October 2026 · Guidance only, not legal advice.
Short answer: yes – in most cases. Since 27 September 2026, EU member states apply the rules of Directive (EU) 2024/825 (“Empowering consumers for the green transition”). It adds new practices to the blacklist of the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive. Blacklisted practices are always unfair – no case-by-case assessment of whether a consumer was actually misled.
The four new blacklisted green practices
- Generic environmental claims (“eco-friendly”, “green”, “environmentally friendly”, “climate friendly”, “ecological”, “nature's friend”…) – unless you can demonstrate recognised excellent environmental performance relevant to the claim (Annex I, point 4a).
- Whole-product claims when the benefit concerns only one aspect – e.g. calling a product “sustainable” because only the packaging is recycled (point 4b).
- Offset-based neutrality claims – “climate neutral”, “CO2 compensated”, “carbon positive” when based on offsetting emissions (point 4c). See our guide on climate-neutral claims.
- Self-made sustainability labels – badges or seals that are not based on a certification scheme or established by public authorities (point 2a).
What counts as “generic”?
A claim is generic when it is not specified in clear and prominent terms on the same medium. “Eco-friendly hoodie” on a product page is generic. “Hoodie made from 70% recycled polyester” is a specific, verifiable claim and remains allowed – as long as it is true and you can prove it.
“Recognised excellent environmental performance” is a high bar: for example the EU Ecolabel, an officially recognised EN ISO 14024 type I ecolabel, or top performance under EU environmental law. A brand's own assessment does not qualify.
Rewrites that usually work
| Risky wording | Safer, specific wording |
|---|---|
| Eco-friendly yoga mat | Yoga mat made from natural rubber (FSC-certified) |
| Sustainable T-shirt | T-shirt made from 100% organic cotton (GOTS certified) |
| Green packaging | Packaging made from 90% recycled cardboard |
| Planet-friendly shipping | We ship in plastic-free packaging |
| Our eco seal ✓ (own badge) | Remove the badge, or use an official certification you hold |
Who must comply?
Every business selling to consumers in the EU – including shops based outside the EU (for example US or UK Shopify stores shipping to EU customers). The rules cover product titles, descriptions, SEO text, ads, badges and packaging. Enforcement is national; for widespread infringements, penalties can reach at least 4% of annual turnover in the member states concerned.
- Search your product texts for eco, green, sustainable, natural, climate, planet, conscious.
- Replace generic words with a specific, provable fact – or delete the sentence.
- Remove self-made badges and offset-based neutrality claims.
- Keep evidence (certificates, supplier data) for every claim you keep.
Check your product text for free → or, if you sell on Shopify, let ClaimSafe scan every product and apply fixes in one click (with undo).