Dove soap and Marmite-maker Unilever is being investigated over its environmental claims, amid concerns shoppers are being misled.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) says Unilever may be overstating how “green” certain products are.
Unilever makes household names such as Cif, Dove and the deodorant brand Lynx.
CMA boss Sarah Cardwell says she is worried consumers are being misled by “so called ‘green’ products that aren’t what they seem”.
Unilever has been contacted for comment.
The move comes as part of a wider investigation into green claims made in advertising for goods such as toiletries, cleaning products, food and drink.
The CMA said certain statements and language used by Unilever on some of its products “appear vague and broad” and “may mislead shoppers”.
The watchdog also said some product ingredients were presented on packaging in a way to exaggerate how natural the products seemed.
“So far, the evidence we’ve seen has raised concerns about how Unilever presents certain products as environmentally friendly,” said Ms Cardwell.
Shoppers spent more than £130bn last year on household essentials, including food and drink, cleaning products, and personal care items, the CMA said earlier this year.
A significant number of these are marketed as green or environmentally friendly, including up to 91% of all dishwashing items and 100% of toilet products, according to the watchdog.
Ms Cardwell highlighted Unilever’s use of colours and imagery – such as green leaves – as a cause of concern, arguing it could again overstate the products’ environmental friendliness, known as “corporate greenwashing”.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has also been cracking down on companies it suspects of greenwashing.
Adverts for Air France, Lufthansa and Etihad were banned in December for misleading consumers about the airlines’ environmental impact.
Lufthansa and Etihad have since removed the ads, while Air France did not reply to the BBC’s request to comment.
Source: bbc.com
