Competition watchdog to clamp down on ‘greenwashing’ by household brands

Shoppers spent over £130bn on ‘fast-moving consumer goods’ (FMCG) last year, which includes household essentials like food and drink, cleaning products, and personal care items.

A significant number of these are marketed as green or environmentally friendly, including up to 91 per cent of all dishwashing items and 100 per cent of toilet products, the CMA said.

The body is launching a review into whether these claims are justifiable as part of an expansion into its ongoing work into ‘greenwashing’, which seeks to get to the bottom of whether products and services that claim to be green or eco-friendly are being marketed to shoppers accurately.

The review will examine a range of essential items used by people on a daily basis and repurchased regularly.

In 2021, the average household spent almost £70 a week on food and drink alone, and the FMCG sector as a whole is worth over £130bn annually.

The CMA will analyse environmental claims made about such products...