The average European consumer drinks around 118 liters of bottled water per year and 97% of this water is packaged in plastic containers. Beverage bottles are one of the top sources of plastic pollution on European beaches.

Consumer organisations are increasingly acting against greenwashing - a systemic problem and that is proving to be a major hurdle in the transition towards sustainable consumption. Misleading green claims make it difficult for consumers to navigate the market and choose the most sustainable product.

Plastic bottles advertised as ‘100% recycled’ or ’100% recyclable’ may be seen as 'sustainable' -  this is far from being the case. All single-use packaging is seriously detrimental to the environment.  These claims give a misleading impression about how plastic recycling works. Plastic bottles cannot - and do not - become plastic bottles over and over again through recycling.

BEUC and its members filed a complaint to the European Commission and the network of consumer protection authorities (CPC), calling on them to launch an investigation. We call on authorities to ensure that traders stop misleading consumers by using such claims.

We call on the CPC-Network to:

• Start a coordinated enforcement action and publish a joint position.

• Request traders to stop misleading consumers by using such claims. Specifically:

  • Traders should stop using ambiguous language relating to recyclability, including “recyclable” and/or “100% recyclable”. Instead, traders should provide clear information on how consumers should correctly dispose of packaging in the market where the product is sold.

  • Where the product contains recycled plastic and traders choose to include this information on product labels, traders should be clear about the quantity of recycled material in the product as a whole, acknowledging all components.

  • Information about recycling provided should not imply that plastic beverage bottles have no impact on the environment or that they are otherwise sustainable. Circular imagery and generic environmental claims, statements, and imagery on labels and in accompanying advertising should not be permitted

• Press release: Consumer groups launch EU-wide complaint against major water bottle producers for greenwashing

• Report with main findings and conclusions

• Letter to the CPC

• Targeted companies & identified labels

• Study accompanying the external alert submitted by BEUC to the CPC Network

• Video

Coca-Cola and Nestle accused of misleading eco claims
BBC News  (07 November 2023)
“Companies are accused of greenwashing when they brand something as more eco-friendly, green or sustainable than it really is. It can mislead consumers who hope to help the planet by choosing those products.”

Coca-Cola, Danone and Nestle accused of 'misleading' shoppers over bottle recycling claims
Sky News  (07 November 2023)
“Ursula Pachl, deputy director general of BEUC, said consumers "increasingly want to make the most sustainable choice", but are "bombarded with incorrect and deceptive claims".”

La OCU y asociaciones de otros 12 países denuncian en Bruselas a los envasadores de botellas de agua por ecopostureo
El País (07 November 2023)
“Las entidades de consumidores piden que se retiren de los envases afirmaciones exageradas como que son 100% reciclables y recicladas en una industria que produce millones de
de toneladas de residuos"

Recyclage des bouteilles en plastique : des associations de consommateurs portent plainte à Bruxelles
Euractiv France (07 November 2023)
“ L’industrie des boissons a recours à des allégations de recyclabilité qui, selon nos recherches, sont trop vagues, inexactes et/ou insuffisamment justifiées"

100 procent gerecycleerde plastic flessen? Dat is consumentenmisleiding
De Standaard (07 November 2023)
“Er bestaat geen enkele garantie dat een fles volledig wordt gerecycleerd wanneer die in de vuilnisbak is beland. Deze greenwashing moet stoppen.”

Afinal, as garrafas de plástico não são 100% recicláveis? Consumidores apresentam queixa
Azul Público (07 November 2023)
"“Seja na compra de roupas novas, seja na abertura de uma conta num banco ou na compra de garrafas de água, os consumidores querem cada vez mais fazer a escolha mais sustentável e buscam informações credíveis ​para isso. No entanto, eles são bombardeados com afirmações incorrectas e enganosas, por isso não sabem em qual afirmação ou rótulo confiar”, refere Ursula Pachl, vice-directora do BEUC."