From T H E S O F I A E M M A N U E L at ethica.gr
Amid the coordination and acceleration of actions towards a circular economy, aimed at reducing CO₂ emissions and improving natural resource management, it is striking that dishonest and misleading commercial practices regarding the recyclability of large companies’ products continue to be maintained.
This was revealed by a study of the European Consumer Organisation BEUC into bottled‑water industries, carried out in partnership with the environmental NGO “Client Earth” and the Environmental Coalition for Standards “ECOS”. The study’s findings caused a stir in the market and within the industry at a time when new packaging‑waste rules (PPWR) are being prepared for adoption.
Specifically, it was found that plastic‑bottle manufacturers resort to ecological claims for single‑use bottled water such as “100% recyclable”, “made from 100% recycled plastic”, “100% (<100%) recycled”, “100% rPET”, “100% rePET”, “100% made from other bottles”, which prove to be inaccurate and unfounded. In some cases, these claims are accompanied by an asterisk with the note “excluding body and label” placed elsewhere on the bottle, less conspicuously.
Consumer organisations, through the European Consumer Organisation BEUC (with the participation of EKPOIZO), lodged a complaint with the European Commission in November 2023, noting that this practice protects companies’ profits at the expense of consumers and calling for clearer and more binding terms for the industries, as environmental claims affect consumer behaviour. Plastic water bottles are one of the European consumer products purchased most frequently and are a widely recognised source of plastic pollution. Informed consumers look to recycling information on their packaging, but who can guarantee that the product they buy will be fully recycled once it reaches the waste bin? The average European consumer drinks around 118 litres of bottled water a year, and 97 % of that water is contained in plastic packaging.
The research identified three main ecological claims on the packaging:
- “100% recyclable”: This term on plastic bottles is considered vague, as recycling depends on many factors, such as the available collection infrastructure, the efficiency of sorting processes and appropriate recycling procedures. It is also noted that the recycling rate for PET beverage containers in the EU is estimated at only 50 %, and the likelihood of a bottle being re‑manufactured is about 30 %.
- “100% recycled”: The claim is deemed to erroneously suggest that the entire bottle is made exclusively from recycled material. The study points out, for example, that bottle caps cannot be made from recycled material under EU law and that labels are also rarely produced from recycled material. Moreover, the addition of “virgin” plastic (i.e., non‑recycled plastic) to the bottle body is a common practice.
- Green imagery: Closed‑loop recycling claims, green logos or nature photographs are used on many water‑bottle brands across Europe. According to researchers, these claims create a false impression of environmental neutrality and continual recycling of the plastic packaging, further giving the impression that the bottles could have a positive impact on the environment.
Consumer organisations, which have repeatedly voiced opposition to green‑washing, have called on the authorities to act under European legislation to empower consumers for the green transition.
On the other hand, the bottled‑water industry is called upon to make sincere, data‑driven commitments and to outline its development outlook for the coming years, given strong trends such as consumer perceptions of tap‑water accessibility and quality.
