Supermarket shoppers are being deceived by misleading green claims on expensive eco-friendly products, a new report has revealed.
A study by consumer watchdog Which? of 14 laundry tablets, toilet cleaners and nappies found that nearly half made environmental claims that could not be supported with convincing evidence.
All of the ‘eco’ toilet cleaners in the report, which included Tesco’s Naturally brand and Sainsburys Cleanhome brand, Ecover and Green Force cleaners, were criticised by a panel of experts for making at least one exaggerated or unsubstantiated claim.
The label on Tesco’s Naturally toilet cleaner stated that the product contained no phosphates and left no hazardous chemical residues, but the panel said regular non-eco cleaners did not either.
Which? said Tesco has agreed to alter the packaging of its toilet cleaner by removing the phosphate claim.
The group’s research also found that both Ariel and Persil laundry tablets are marketed to suggest they encourage greener behaviour, but the Which? experts said the environmental benefits were not clear.
They added that there was no convincing evidence to show chemicals found in rival brands would have any worse impact on aquatic life.
However, the report said most of the claims used to the six market nappy and eco-wipe products surveyed stood up, although some were vague and made it difficult for consumers to differentiate between products.
Which? said: “When companies make clear green claims it helps consumers make eco choices with confidence. But our experts concluded that many of the companies did not provide enough evidence to back up their claims and thought that some were exaggerated. This makes it hard for people to choose.”
