Subj : Consumer NZ warns of 'greenwashing' on our shelves
To   : All
From : News
Date : Tue Apr 23 2024 12:49 pm

Consumer NZ is accusing some beauty products of claiming to be more
environmentally kind than they are in reality.

Known as "greenwashing" Consumer NZ said false claims of this nature were
particularly hard to identify as a consumer - yet they did influence people's
buying habits.

"About 75% of people would expect there is some level of vetting or there's
an assumption something has been checked before products end up on shelves,"
said Consumer NZ head of research and advocacy Gemma Rasmussen.

Rasmussen said about one in 10 people prioritised sustainability when
purchasing a product but she suggested it was a tricky space to navigate.

"Unfortunately, our market doesn't really enable people to shop with
confidence right now."

New Zealand's eco-chamber
Rasmussen added the ability to make unsubstantiated environmentally-friendly
claims on products in New Zealand was "a bit of a wild west".

"With the majority of products in New Zealand, there's no vetting, no one is
really reporting it."

Although the Fair Trading Act outlined rules for businesses and how they
substantiated their claims, Rasmussen said more needed to be done about
products labelled with eco-friendly claims.

She pointed to the United Kingdom, European Union and Australia as places
where legislation was changing to adapt to the selling tactics.

In the European Union, Rasmussen said companies would not be able to use
words such as "natural" or "eco" without verifying their product could back
up the claim.

"We're really behind the eight-ball, and we have a Government which isn't
prioritising the environment when it comes to greenwashing."

Rasmussen also said the Commerce Commission was not being provided the
resources to make an impact in the sector.

"It's quite sad to see."

Red flags to watch for
Speaking on how to identify products which may not be as
environmentally-friendly as they seemed, Rasmussen said words which were
trademarked but had no meaning was one red flag.

Another common way products tred to come across as environmentally friendly
was by using brown or green imagery, or using vague words which were hard to
back-up.

Rasmussen said people could contact Consumer NZ with any greenwashing
concerns, and it would investigate - or passing on information where products
had been done well in the environmental stakes.

"We're really passionate about getting out there and celebrating brands that
are doing a great job - and calling out companies that are greenwashing."

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