Clear and honest communic-ation of environ-mental claims of paint products is imperative to support the work toward a sustainable coatings industry, and BCF’s new Green Claims Guide is vital to making sure this is adhered to.
In an ever more competitive marketplace, makers of decorative paints often rely on unique selling points to make their products stand out. Some companies, however, may be misleading consumers with unsubstantiated green claims about their paints. A recent international analysis of websites conducted by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) found that 40% of green claims made online could be misleading.
‘Non-Toxic’, ‘Natural’, ‘Vegan’, ‘Child and Pet-safe’, Eco-friendly’ and ‘Organic’ are just some of the misleading claims that have been used market some decorative paint products to consumers. To tackle this growing issue, the British Coatings Federation (BCF) has recently launched its Green Claims Guide for Decorative Paints. The UK’s trade association representing decorative paint manufacturers is urging consumers to consult BCF’s guide when faced with claims in order to validate them.
With consumers becoming increasingly more inclined to make more sustainably conscious purchases, BCF is recording increasing numbers of news articles around the subject of ‘eco-paints’, as well as reports from members in the decorative paints industry of emerging companies making unsubstantiated claims. Such claims, if unsubstantiated or incorrect, can be damaging to the decorative paints industry’s reputation, as well as misleading consumers.
BCF’s green claims guide breaks down the definitions of some of the most commonly used ‘eco’ phrases and buzzwords when marketing decorative paints to consumers. The aim is to create a level playing field within the industry, ensure businesses are complying with the law and that consumers are not being misled.
Possibly the most used consumer product claim is ‘eco-friendly’ or ‘green’, which are often made as broad statements with no scientific proof to back them up. As descriptors for paint products, these words, often misappropriated from the food industry, are too vague to adequately describe paint. These buzzwords may attract the attention of consumers but are meaningless and often signal little but greenwash.
Another example is the phrase ‘Non-Toxic’, which is intended to imply that other widely available competitor’s paints in the market are ‘toxic’/contain hazardous materials. This is false and misleading. The paint industry prides itself on how decorative water-based wall paint formulations have been developed over the past few decades to ensure that hazardous components have been removed or minimised, to ensure that DIY users can use our products safely and without concerns over the impact to their health. The vast majority of decorative wall and ceiling paints sold on the UK market do not require any hazard statements or pictograms on their labelling in accordance with legislation, and hence all may be deemed non-hazardous/non-toxic.
A key greenwashing issue the industry faces is ‘Zero VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds)’. BCF takes the position that the use of the terms ‘Zero-VOC’ and ‘VOC-free’ are false claims and should not be used in the paint industry. BCF members have now adopted the use of the statement ‘TRACE’ VOC to improve communication to consumers – highlighting which products have the lowest levels of VOCs (under 0.1%). As the license holders of the industry-wide standard VOC Globe scheme, BCF is promoting the new ‘TRACE’ globe in the coming months as an alternative to ‘Zero VOCs’.
Coatings protect the surfaces they are applied to, preserve valuable resources such as metal and wood, and play an important role in achieving future goals surrounding sustainability. However, making claims such as ‘Planet Friendly’ or ‘Prevents Climate Change’ in the marketplace are misleading and false, as manufacturing paint requires energy in the first place.
Clear and honest communication of environmental claims of paint products is imperative to support the work toward a sustainable coatings industry, and BCF’s new Green Claims Guide is vital to making sure this is adhered to.
To ensure their environmental claims are credible, the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) has published a series of recommendations for brands, marketers and advertisers. The WFA accounts for 90% of global marketing communications spend and is the first industry body to produce guidance on making environmental claims at an international level.
On a UK level, there is guidance from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to help businesses understand how to communicate their green credentials while reducing the risk of misleading shoppers, called the Green Claims Code. This focuses on six principles that are based on existing consumer law and make clear that businesses ‘must not omit or hide important information’ and ‘must consider the full life cycle of the product’.
BCF’s new guide aligns with the WFA guidance and the CMA’s Green Claims Code. BCF welcomes the increased initiative being taken by UK regulators. It is likely that more action will be brought against those not complying with the CMA’s Green Claims Code, ASA’s Advertising Codes and applicable consumer protection legislation.
The BCF will be writing to any paints and coatings companies making green claims that may be misleading or unsubstantiated, asking them to adapt their marketing in line with the Green Claims Guide.
BCF’S Green Claims Guide for Decorative Paints can be viewed at: coatings.org.uk/greenclaims.
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