Sustainable consumption actions

Coca-Cola’s commitment to improve recycling claims on plastic bottles

In November 2023, the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) issued an external alert against bottling companies advertising environmental claims on plastic bottles.

Following this alert, the Coca-Cola Company contacted the European Commission and voluntarily engaged into a dialogue with the CPC-network under the lead of the Swedish Consumer Agency and the Hungarian Competition Authority.

As a result of the dialogue, Coca-Cola committed to:

• Replace claims on bottles’ labels such as “I am a bottle made from 100% recycled plastic” (with separate disclaimer in  different fonts: "bottle, not label and cap") with more clear statements such as "This bottle, excluding label and cap, is made from 100% recycled plastic" ;
• Replace claims on bottles’ labels such as “Recycle me again” with “Recycle me”, to encourage disposal of empty bottles in a manner which makes it clearer to consumers that that there is not a closed loop in the recycling process;
• Ensure that the overall impression of the label and the marketing is not misleading consumers regarding environmental benefits of the packaging, for instance by combining them with other green claims or symbols.
• Ensure that digital marketing campaigns on Coca-Cola’s websites and social media channels reflect the content of these commitments.

As next steps, national consumer protection authorities will monitor the implementation of these commitments.

Under the coordination of the European Commission, the authorities will also assess the practices of other major bottling companies operating in the Single Market, and where necessary, will require from them to abide by the same commitments.

AdBlue tanks in Stellantis cars

Following alerts issued by consumer associations in Italy and Spain, the European Consumer Association (BEUC) called on the CPC Network to open an EU wide investigation on technical issues with AdBlue tanks in certain diesel vehicles manufactured by Stellantis.

AdBlue is a liquid designed for diesel vehicle engines to allow the functioning of SCR system (selective catalytic reduction system) and ultimately reduce harmful emissions of nitrogen oxide.  

Customers complained that the embedded software in certain diesel vehicles manufactured by Stellantis (such as Peugeot, Citroën, DS, or Opel) between January 2014 and August 2020, incorrectly indicated that the AdBlue tank was almost or completely empty. As a result, the engine stopped, preventing it from restarting and causing costly repairs for the owners.

Stellantis clarified that technical issues related to the urea tank have appeared in older vehicle generations, while newer vehicles are equipped with improved components.  

Compensation measures agreed by Stellantis  

In September 2023, the Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) investigated the issue and agreed with Stellantis upon a series of compensation measures for consumers in Italy.

Following a dialogue with the Commission and the CPC Network, Stellantis agreed to extend these measures to all Member States, offering some additional commitments, including to:

• Extend the special coverage for Stellantis brands of vehicles Peugeot, Citroën, DS, and Opel. This means Stellantis is covering the cost of parts, beyond warranty requirements, depending on the age and mileage of the vehicle, which will extend to 8 years following each relevant vehicle manufacturing date. As such, the coverage will last up to 2028 for vehicles manufactured in August 2020. For eligible vehicles up to 5 years in service and up to 150,000 kilometers, Stellantis compensates 100% of costs for parts. If the vehicle is between 5 and 8 years old, the Company covers between 30% to 90% of the costs for parts, depending on the respective mileage.
• Complement the special coverage with an amount of €30 for labour costs, which in some cases represent around 20% of the average labour cost.
• Cover 100% of parts and labor costs for consumers who face re occuring cases (For customers who went to an authorized repairer for a second urea tank replacement, within the limit of 50,000 km or 24 months from the previous replacement carried out at an authorized repairer and documented by invoice; used vehicles excluded. The measure is effective until August 2028).
• A retro-active measure to compensate with a lump sum consumers who received less favorable reimbursements since 1 January 2021 than the extended special coverage.
• Organise trainings of distribution network and customer care employees to ensure consumers are properly informed of the coverages available to them. =

Stellantis will also launch a platform dedicated to the retroactive measure for affected consumers, who already received contributions in the past, to calculate their additional compensation rights. The platform will be available in mid-January 2025.  

Greenwashing in air travel sector

Following a dialogue with the European Commission and the authorities of the Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) network, 21 airlines have committed to change their practices regarding misleading environmental claims.

This coordinated action, led by the Belgian Directorate General for Economic Inspection, the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets, the Norwegian Consumer Authority and the Spanish Directorate General of Consumer Affairs, started in June 2023 after the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) denounced misleading climate related claims by 17 European airlines.

The airlines have discussed the following commitments:

1. clarifying that CO₂ emissions from a specific flight cannot be neutralised, offset or directly reduced through contributions or payments
2. using the term "sustainable aviation fuels" (SAF) only when appropriately substantiated.
3. refraining from using vague green terminology or imagery and clearly stating that aviation is a highly polluting industry.
4. clarifying claims related to future environmental performance (e.g., net-zero greenhouse gas emissions).
5. presenting CO₂ emissions calculations clearly and transparently in accordance with EU law
6. providing sufficient scientific evidence and information to support any comparisons of environmental performance

All the airlines agreed, among others, to introduce changes in their practices, including in particular the removal of statements claiming that CO₂ emissions from individual flights can be neutralised, offset or directly reduced through payments for climate projects or alternative aviation fuels. A detailed table with the commitments agreed per airlines can be found here below.

National consumer protection authorities will monitor the timely implementation of the commitments. Where commitments are considered insufficient or not properly implemented, the authorities may take enforcement action to bring the airlines’ practices in line with EU consumer law and to ensure fair competition and a level playing field across the aviation sector.

Zalando

Following a dialogue with the European Commission and national consumer authorities, Zalando has committed to remove sustainability flags and icons displayed next to products offered on its platform. Such claims can mislead consumers about the environmental characteristics of the products.    

The Consumer Protection Cooperation Network (CPC), coordinated by the European Commission and led by four authorities from Germany, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, started a coordinated action with Zalando in April 2022. At this point, the network’s main concern was Zalando’s use of a sustainability flag. During the course of the coordinated action and as a result thereof, Zalando removed the sustainability flag and committed not to use it in the future. However, concerns remained regarding misleading environmental icons, which Zalando introduced after the removal of the sustainability flag. The CPC Network was also concerned about the presentation and functioning of the filter and the substantiation required to support environmental claims.  

As a result of the dialogue with the CPC Network, Zalando committed to: 

• remove the initially used sustainability flag from all webpages. 
• remove all misleading environmental icons that were displayed next to products (such as a leaf or a tree).  
• no longer use the term “sustainability”, or other terms indicating an environmental and/or ethical benefit, without a qualification in direct proximity to such a claim. Instead Zalando will use the term “Product standard”, or a similar phrase, with clear information about the specific product attributes, including a percentage figure of how much this product is composed of in relation to given attribute (e.g., recycled materials). 
• remove the icons and the term ‘sustainability’ also from the filter and instead introduce the term “product standard” allowing consumers to filter and select products based on specific product attributes. 
• amend the “match-any-function” of the filter by making it possible to select products based on one criterion in relation to a given product attribute. 
• provide clear and specific information on the product’s environmental and/or ethical benefit at the product detail page, e.g., the product attribute(s) together with the specific percentage figure(s).  
• revise the “Sustainability Page” by introducing two new webpages: one with more information on the product standards and one with information about Zalando’s sustainability-related approaches and strategies.  
• ensure that Zalando’s environmental claims relate to aspects that are significant in terms of the product’s impact on the environment.