2023-07-09 16:13:12
A German-speaking consumer organization denounces cases of misleading and has filed a complaint against several Swiss companies for “greenwahsing”. At the political level, parliamentarians are asking the Federal Council to provide a legal framework, which currently does not exist.
For several years, many companies have dressed their products in green in order to sell them to customers sensitive to environmental protection. Added to this are words like “sustainable”, “natural”, “eco” or even “carbon neutral” on packaging or .
>> Read again: Fashion, finance and transport go green: green or greenwashing?
“If we see more and more of it, it’s because green meets a real expectation, a real need of consumers. And companies must respond to it”, explains Alexia Rayar, strategic planner at Havas Switzerland in the 12:45.
Today, more than third gods of the major agency’s projects are “eco-responsible”. Studies show that the more a product is “green”, the more it sells.
Unfair competition
Yet 53% of green claims are vague, misleading or unfounded, according to a report from the European Commission.
The consumer protection group Konsumentenschutz has also filed a complaint with the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco) against eight companies for unfair competition or “greenwashing”.
Consumer protection judges in particular that the declarations of these companies on their CO2 reduction do not hold water. The foundation has also filed a complaint with the Swiss Fairness Commission against other companies for unfair .
For the Fédération romande des consommateurs (FRC), such practices pose two problems. Firstly, the federation also considers that this is unfair competition for companies that are really committed to the environment.
“A consumer will really have difficulty in differentiating a company whose commitment is real from another”, explains Sophie Michaud Gigon, secretary general of the FRC.
No legal framework in Switzerland
The second problem lies in the fact that the consumer, often ready to pay more for this type of product, is deceived about the goods. For the FRC, it is necessary to quickly enact directives to avoid the abuses of certain companies. Today, no legal framework exists in Switzerland.
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According to Sophie Michaud Gigon, these guidelines should clearly indicate what is permitted in terms of . If these instructions define what terms can be used and what characteristics the final product must have in order to use them, “at that time, we will be in fair practice”, she says.
>> Read again: The FRC wants to regulate pro-environment claims on consumer products
Without regulation, the consumer risks turning away from environmentally friendly products due to a lack of confidence, slowing down the ecological transition.
Sophie Michaud Gigon and other parliamentarians are asking the Federal Council to legislate on the matter.
Marion Tinguely/edel with ats
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