Using Environmental Terms with Confidence: Why Evidence Matters

Consumers are actively looking for products and services with better environmental outcomes. 

Businesses should feel confident talking about the positive sustainability attributes of what they offer. Clear, accurate environmental claims help consumers make informed choices, reward innovation and encourage continual improvement. 

Terms such as eco-friendly, green, sustainable and environmentally preferable can all play an important role in communicating environmental performance. 

So can you use them? 

The short answer is yes—provided you can clearly explain what you mean and have evidence to support your claims. 

That's where many organisations become uncertain. 

How much evidence is enough? When is a claim too broad? And how can you communicate sustainability with confidence while avoiding the risk of greenwashing? 

The answer lies in being clear, specific and transparent. 

What the ACCC expects

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) doesn't prohibit businesses from making environmental claims. 

Instead, it expects those claims to be truthful, accurate and supported by credible evidence. 

One of the ACCC's key recommendations is to avoid broad, unqualified environmental claims because consumers can interpret them in many different ways. 

Take a claim like:  "Environmentally friendly." 

One customer might assume the product contains recycled materials. 

Another might think it contains no hazardous chemicals. 

Someone else might believe it has a low carbon footprint, is ethically manufactured, recyclable, or even carbon neutral. 

One simple phrase can imply numerous environmental benefits—many of which may never have been assessed. 

That's why the ACCC recommends qualifying broad environmental terms with clear, specific information that explains exactly what the claim means. 

When is "environmentally preferable" appropriate?

"Environmentally preferable" is often seen as a more measured alternative to terms like environmentally friendly because it recognises that products rarely have zero environmental impact. 

However, the phrase still needs context.

• Preferable compared to what? 

• Which environmental impacts have been considered? 

• Across what part of the product's lifecycle?

These are all reasonable questions that consumers may ask. 

If you can answer them with credible evidence, environmentally preferable can be an entirely appropriate description. 

If not, the claim risks creating a misleading overall impression. 

The ACCC makes it clear that businesses should consider the overall impression their marketing creates—not simply whether individual words are technically correct. 

Broad claims should be supported by specifics

Rather than relying on broad environmental language on its own, use it as a gateway to explain the specific sustainability attributes that underpin your claim. 

For example: 

• Environmentally preferable because it contains 80% recycled content.

• Environmentally preferable, with independent third-party certification against GECA's lifecycle ecolabel standard.

• Designed for durability and repair, helping reduce waste over its lifecycle. 

• Manufactured using responsibly sourced timber that meets independently verified requirements.

These examples give consumers the context they need to understand why the product may be environmentally preferable, rather than asking them to simply accept the claim at face value. 

The result is communication that is clearer, more credible and much easier to substantiate. 

Why independent certification matters

One of the most credible ways to communicate sustainability responsibly is through independent third-party certification. 

Rather than relying solely on self-declared claims, certification provides independent evidence that a product or service has been assessed against transparent criteria. 

GECA certification goes beyond assessing a single environmental attribute. Depending on the relevant standard, GECA certified products and services are independently assessed against criteria addressing environmental impacts, human health, social impact and fitness for purpose across the lifecycle. 

For organisations looking to communicate that their products or services are environmentally preferable, independent third-party certification provides robust, independently verified evidence to support that claim. Rather than relying on broad marketing language alone, businesses can point to a transparent, evidence-based assessment against rigorous sustainability criteria. 

Importantly, certification should also be communicated accurately. 

Businesses should only claim certification for products or services that are actually certified and avoid implying broader environmental benefits than have been independently verified.

Even your visuals matter

Words aren't the only thing consumers notice. 

The ACCC reminds businesses that colours, leaves, recycling symbols, logos and other visual elements all contribute to the overall impression a claim creates. 

A green background, environmental imagery or certification logo can unintentionally imply broader environmental benefits than actually exist. 

That's why every element of your marketing—from the headline to the imagery—should accurately reflect what has genuinely been verified. 

A simple rule of thumb

Before publishing any environmental claim, ask yourself: '

• Can I provide evidence for every part of this claim?  

• Have I explained why I'm using this environmental term?  

• Does the wording accurately reflect what has actually been verified?  

• Would the overall impression still be accurate if someone only glanced at my advertisement?  

If the answer to any of these questions is "no", it's worth revisiting the wording. 

Communicate with confidence

Businesses shouldn't be afraid to communicate genuine environmental achievements. 

Consumers want this information, and organisations making meaningful sustainability improvements deserve to be recognised for them. 

The goal isn't to eliminate terms like eco-friendly, green or environmentally preferable from your marketing. It's to use them responsibly. 

When these terms are accompanied by clear explanations, robust evidence and, where appropriate, independent third-party verification, they become meaningful rather than merely promotional. 

Rather than simply telling customers that a product or service is environmentally preferable, show them why. Explain the environmental attributes, the evidence behind your claim and, where relevant, the independent certification that supports it. 

That's how organisations can communicate sustainability with confidence, help consumers make informed choices and build lasting trust. 

Need help communicating your GECA certification?

GECA has developed guidance to help licensees promote their certification accurately and confidently. Our Position Statement on Making Claims About GECA Certification outlines practical principles for responsible communication, including using clear and specific language, avoiding broad unqualified claims, providing accessible evidence and ensuring that visual elements do not create a misleading impression.

If you're unsure whether a claim accurately reflects your GECA certification, we're always happy to help before your marketing goes live.