If you’ve ever seen the words ‘plastic-free’ on a product label and felt good about your choice, think again. The UK’s advertising watchdog, the Advertising Standards Authority (the ASA), just made a big ruling that could change the way we think about plastic-free claims for good.
Here’s the scoop:
The UK’s independent advertising regulator has declared that the claim ‘plastic-free’ on a household cleaning brand is in breach of the UK Advertising Codes for being misleading because the product contains polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH/PVA).
In a concise ruling the ASA declared it has not seen sufficient evidence to show that the ingredient, which is commonly found in laundry products and cosmetics, isn’t a plastic.
PVOH has previously been overlooked in discussions around ‘plastic-free’ claims, likely due to its ability to break into smaller and very small particles under certain circumstances. What hasn’t been considered is that the industrial processes that are required to enable PVOH to break down into components that are no longer harmful to the environment rarely apply in ordinary wastewater treatment, meaning it can – and often does – contribute to the spread of microplastics in environment.
It’s time to do better and it all starts with knowing better.
We have long believed that businesses have a responsibility to make the world better, which is why we advocate for honesty and transparency at an industry-leading level.
Here’s the win
For over 45 years we have been at the forefront of challenging the way we think about cleaning products. For us this ruling is a win for honesty and transparency, and we couldn’t be more excited to see a step toward real change. But while this is a step in the right direction, it’s just the beginning. Many companies still use misleading statements about sustainability in general, and about ‘plastic-free’ specifically. That’s why Ecover is committed to helping you make informed choices, because the more we know the better decisions we can make for our planet.
This ruling is a positive step, but we’re not stopping there.
