From 27 September 2026, "eco friendly" is no longer enough.

Generic claims

Article 23(1)(d-bis). Making a generic environmental claim is banned unless recognised excellent environmental performance relevant to the claim can be shown. Generic means it says neither what is better nor by how much.

• Banned: "eco friendly water bottle", "green detergent", "sustainable packaging", "environment friendly"
• Lawful, if true: "stainless steel bottle, reusable", "packaging in 100% recycled cardboard"

The whole for a part

Article 23(1)(d-ter). An environmental claim about the product as a whole, or about the whole business, is banned when it only concerns one aspect of the product or one element of the business.

• Banned: "eco friendly product" because the box is recycled cardboard
• Lawful, if true: "box in 100% recycled cardboard", said about the box

Neutrality through offsetting

Article 23(1)(d-quater). Claiming, on the basis of greenhouse gas emission offsetting, that a product has a neutral, reduced or positive impact on the climate is banned. The offsetting project being funded can still be described, without turning it into a quality of the product.

• Banned: "carbon neutral shipping" thanks to offset credits
• Lawful, if true: "for every order we fund a certified reforestation project", without saying the shipping is neutral

Home made marks

Article 23(1)(b-bis). Displaying a sustainability label that is not based on a certification scheme or not established by public authorities is banned. This includes badges designed by the shop itself.

• Banned: a "Green choice" badge next to the price, made up by the shop
• Lawful, if the product really holds it: a certified mark such as EU Ecolabel, FSC, PEFC or GOTS

Promises about the future

Article 21(2)(b-ter). A claim about future environmental performance is misleading without clear, objective, public and verifiable commitments, set out in a detailed and realistic implementation plan with measurable targets and deadlines, periodically checked by an independent third party that publishes its findings. Unlike the four above it is not banned in all cases: it becomes misleading when the plan is missing.

• At risk: "we will be net zero by 2030", with no public and verified plan

What stays lawful

The law bans the claim without proof, not the word. Saying what is better and by how much, in the same sentence, stays lawful if it is true and can be proven.

• specific claims, with the material, percentage or measure next to them, and the proof kept at hand
• certified marks the product really holds, with their licence number
• words used in another sense: "natural" as a type of stone, "green" as a colour

From when and what a mistake costs

The rules apply from 27 September 2026 to every commercial communication aimed at consumers: product pages, web pages, advertising, labels. Unfair commercial practices are fined by the Italian competition authority, from 5,000 to 10,000,000 euro (article 27 of the Consumer Code).

How to check your site

For a WordPress site there is a free plugin that reads the copy and flags the risky sentences, with the article and how to fix them. If there is no time to go through them, we do the review, on any platform.

• Vaglio Asserzioni Ambientali, the plugin
• Environmental claims review of a website, fixed price

What this page is not

It explains the rules with examples. It is not legal advice and it does not say whether a given text complies: for a specific case, or for a complaint already received, you need a lawyer.

Sources

• Italian Consumer Code, current text (Normattiva)
• Legislative Decree 30/2026, the transposition (Normattiva)
• Directive (EU) 2024/825, consumers and the green transition (EUR-Lex)