Paris court rules Volvic's 'carbon neutral' and '100% recycled' bottle claims are misleading greenwashing
A Paris court has ruled that Danone-owned water brand Volvic used deceptive environmental claims on its bottles, ordering it to pay damages and publish the ruling on its website.
The court's decision
The Paris judicial court has ruled that environmental claims made by the Volvic mineral water brand constitute misleading commercial practices. The court examined labels including 'carbon neutral', 'certified carbon neutral', '100% recycled', '100% recyclable', and 'always recyclable', and found them to be deceptive.
The mention on Volvic water packaging and bottles of the claims 'carbon neutral' or 'certified carbon neutral', '100% recycled', '100% recyclable' and 'always recyclable' constitutes a misleading commercial practice.
The court specifically noted that the carbon emissions produced in manufacturing a Volvic water bottle are not fully offset by absorption measures. It concluded that the 'carbon neutral' claims were likely to mislead a consumer.
Penalties and appeal
Volvic has been ordered to pay 75,000 euros in damages to the consumer association CLCV, which brought the case. The brand must also publish the court's ruling on the homepage of its website for a period of six months.
Danone, the agri-food giant that owns Volvic, has announced it will appeal the decision. The company stated that Volvic contests both the court's reasoning and its conclusion regarding certain past practices, which it maintains complied fully with applicable texts and customs at the time.
Volvic will therefore appeal this decision.
The certification dispute
Danone explained that the 'carbon neutral' claim was based on a certification obtained in 2020 from the Carbon Trust organisation, using a recognised methodology. However, the certification programme was subsequently discontinued by the body.
The court also examined the recycling claims. It found that the bottles were only partially recycled, making the '100% recycled' and '100% recyclable' labels misleading to consumers.
A landmark ruling
CLCV, the French consumer association (Consommation, Logement, Cadre de Vie), welcomed what it called a 'historic ruling'. The association stated that this is the first time a court has ruled on the terms 'carbon neutral' and '100% recyclable' concerning a mass-market consumer good.
This decision sets a standard that usefully protects the consumer.
The ruling establishes a legal precedent in France for how environmental claims on everyday products should be evaluated, potentially affecting how other brands label their goods.
