ALBAWABA - UK regulators are tightening restrictions on major brands for misleading environmental statements in their advertising.
The decision comes after brands such as Adidas, Calvin Klein, and Uniqlo, made statements in their advertising that said their clothes are made from recycled materials - a statement which turned out to be hardly true.
Adidas was promoting their “recycled running shoes” while Calvin Klein advertised “recycled” tops for women, and lastly, Uniqlo advertised coats and jackets made from “recycled materials”.
UK regulations enforced the ban after the aforementioned brands were not able to prove their “recycled” claims, with each of them giving flimsy reasoning for including the words in their advertisements, both online and offline.
Under the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) investigation, brands were forced to prove their claims or have their ads banned;
Adidas said it, in fact, did not have a recycled running shoe range but that ‘certain products’ across its collections ‘might’ incorporate recycled materials. Similarly Calvin Klein said that ‘certain products’ in its women’s T-shirts and tops range included “environmentally preferred materials”adding that it would not be reasonable for consumers to interpret its ad as meaning the claims applied to the entire range.
Finally Uniqlo said that consumers were meant to understand that the products were to a “meaningful extent” made from recycled materials and no more.
The ASA was unconvinced, however, saying that without further clarification - using the term ‘recycled’ leads consumers to believe that the entire range is recycled; which is not true. Further adding that absolute environmental claims in ads “must be supported by a high level of substantiation”.
It’s important that people can trust the environmental claims they see in ads,” said the ASA director of complaints and investigations, Miles Lockwood. “When absolute terms like ‘recycled’ are used, the basis of those claims should be clearly explained and properly supported by evidence. Without that, there’s a risk that people could be misled. We’ll be continuing to monitor ads making green claims, taking action where we do see ads breaking the rules, whilst also supporting advertisers with advice and guidance to help them get it right.”
The ASA seems to be on a roll as these bans follow the banning of ads for Nike, Superdry and Lacoste for similarly misleading consumers about the environmental sustainability credentials of their products.
