No “climate-neutral” liquid soap, no “environmentally-neutral” washing-up liquid – the drugstore chain dm has to change the labels for its own brands. According to a ruling by the Regional Court of Karlsruhe, advertising with these terms is not permitted. With both designations on the products, consumers would have expectations that do not correspond to reality, the court justified its judgment on Wednesday (Az. 13 O 46/22 KfH).
A lawsuit by the German Environmental Aid (DUH) was successful. Among other things, she had missed some of the dm own products labeled in this way as to what exactly climate or environmental neutrality consisted of. The court saw it that way too.
Referring to a website for more information is permissible. However, the consumer must be able to recognize this information on the packaging. Also, the reference to a forest protection project in Peru is not enough. “The claim that the product is climate-neutral goes beyond what can be achieved using CO2 certificates from forest protection,” emphasized the presiding judge, Steffen Wesche.
As far as the term “environmental neutrality” is concerned, the court complained of a violation of the ban on misleading people. “The advertising is excessive and therefore inaccurate,” said the judge. The products advertised in this way would not have a balanced environmental balance. Of the 13 impact categories of environmental pollution, only the categories of CO2 emissions, nutrient input, acidification, summer smog and ozone depletion are recorded.
“Today’s judgment against the drugstore chain dm is a milestone for consumer protection,” says DUH Federal Managing Director Jürgen Resch. He spoke of an “important success against greenwashing in retail”. The DUH has sued more than 20 companies for using the “carbon neutrality” label.
According to its own statements, dm decided months ago to dispense with the “climate neutral” label. These products are currently “sold out”. The drugstore chain sees itself as a pioneer on the way to becoming an environmentally neutral company. Kerstin Erbe, the managing director responsible for product management, said: “We are comprehensive, holistic and pioneering here.” If you can optimize things in communication, you will do so. Because dm wants to enable environmentally friendly consumption, the company has introduced the “Pro Climate” product series, which includes more than 100 items. These would now receive the new seal “environmentally neutral action”.
