NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 13 – Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) company Unilever will be investigated by the United Kingdom’s (UK’s) Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) after claiming its products are environmentally friendly.
The probe is part of CMA’s wider investigation into greenwashing, which is when an organization markets itself as green through marketing, which may be untrue.
In January this year, the CMA expanded its role on environmental claims to include FMCG.
Unilever is known for products such as Lifebuoy, Omo, Rexona, and Sunlight, among others.
“The CMA’s initial review uncovered a range of concerning practices, and, as part of that work, the CMA has today launched a formal investigation into Unilever,” the UK government’s statement reads.
Some of the concerns raised include the vagueness of certain statements and the language used that may mislead shoppers regarding the environmental impact of those products.
“Certain green claims – particularly in relation to recyclability – may be unclear, as they fail to specify whether they relate to all or part of a product, or packaging,” it added.
“Unilever’s use of colours and imagery – such as green leaves – may create the overall impression that some products are more environmentally friendly than they actually are.”
However, CMA noted that it had seen some changes in the FMCG sector since announcing its comprehensive review, including amendments to and removal of some green claims made by a number of suppliers.
