Free EU green claims checker: find the eco claims banned from 27 September 2026
From 27 September 2026, EU Directive 2024/825 bans generic environmental claims such as "eco-friendly", "green" or "sustainable", "carbon neutral" claims that rest on offsetting, and home-made eco labels in anything sold to EU consumers. Paste a product title, description or tags below to see which wording the directive targets, why, and how to reword it. It checks 71 claim patterns in nine languages.
The check runs in your browser; the text is not sent to us. It flags wording for a person to review and is not legal advice: it cannot know what evidence or certification you hold.
What the directive bans
Directive (EU) 2024/825 ("Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition") adds these practices to the EU's list of unfair commercial practices. The checker sorts each finding into one of them:
- Generic environmental claim. From 27 September 2026 EU law bans generic environmental claims such as "eco-friendly", "green" or "sustainable" unless you can show recognised excellent environmental performance (for example the EU Ecolabel). Fix: Remove it, or replace it with a specific fact buyers can check on the same page, e.g. "Outer fabric: 80% recycled polyester (GRS certified)". Directive (EU) 2024/825, Annex I point 4a
- Neutral or positive impact claim. Claims that a product is "carbon neutral", "climate positive" or has a reduced impact because emissions are offset (carbon credits) are banned from 27 September 2026, whatever the quality of the credits. Fix: Remove the claim from the product. You can still say factually what you fund, e.g. "We fund carbon removal with X", as long as you don't call the product neutral. Directive (EU) 2024/825, Annex I point 4c
- Future environmental performance claim. Promises such as "net zero by 2030" are only allowed with clear, public, verifiable commitments in a detailed implementation plan that an independent expert checks regularly. Fix: Remove it, or link to your published plan with interim targets and the independent verification. Directive 2005/29/EC Article 6(2)(d), as amended by Directive (EU) 2024/825
- Sustainability label or seal. From 27 September 2026 only sustainability labels based on a certification scheme or set up by a public authority are allowed. Self-made badges and seals are banned. Fix: Keep only certified labels and name the scheme (e.g. EU Ecolabel, Nordic Swan, Blue Angel, GOTS, FSC); remove home-made eco badges. Directive (EU) 2024/825, Annex I point 2a
- Claim that may overstate the whole product. An environmental claim about the entire product is banned when it only concerns one part, such as the packaging or one material. Fix: Say which part and how much, e.g. "Lining: 100% recycled polyester" or "Packaging: 90% recycled cardboard". Directive (EU) 2024/825, Annex I point 4b
- Durability claim. Claims about how long a product lasts must be demonstrable under normal conditions of use. Fix: State the tested figure and method (e.g. "tested to 50,000 rub cycles, EN ISO 12947") or remove the claim. Directive (EU) 2024/825, Annex I point 23d
- Legal requirement presented as a feature. Presenting something the law already requires of every product in the category (for example no CFCs) as a special feature of your product is banned. Fix: Remove it if the law requires it for all products of this type in the EU. Directive (EU) 2024/825, Annex I point 10a
The wording it looks for, by language
These are the claim patterns the checker (and the Shopify app) flags. A claim right next to a specific figure or a named certification is shown at a lower severity, because it may be acceptable if it covers the whole claim and you hold the evidence.
| Language | Claims flagged |
|---|---|
| English | eco-friendly; environmentally friendly; planet / climate friendly; good for the planet; ecological; eco-conscious; sustainable; green (as an eco claim); go green; consciously made; responsibly made; zero waste; low impact / low carbon; biodegradable; compostable; bio-based; energy efficient; carbon / climate neutral; net zero; climate positive / carbon negative; climate compensated; carbon offset; offsetting emissions; carbon-free shipping; target year promise; eco label / seal; made from recycled materials; recyclable; lasts a lifetime; CFC-free / phosphate-free |
| German | umweltfreundlich; nachhaltig; umweltbewusst / ressourcenschonend; ökologisch (Hinweis: auch 'bio', dann Bio-Zertifikat nötig); biologisch abbaubar; kompostierbar / biobasiert; klimaneutral / CO2-neutral; klimapositiv / kompensiert; Zieljahr-Versprechen; Öko-Siegel; hält ein Leben lang |
| French | écologique / respectueux de l'environnement; durable / éco-conçu; biodégradable (déjà interdit en France, loi AGEC); compostable / biosourcé; neutre en carbone; promesse avec échéance; label écologique |
| Spanish | ecológico / respetuoso con el medio ambiente; sostenible; biodegradable; compostable; neutro en carbono |
| Italian | ecologico / sostenibile; biodegradabile; compostabile; impatto zero / neutrale per il clima |
| Dutch | milieuvriendelijk; duurzaam; ecologisch; biologisch afbreekbaar; composteerbaar; klimaatneutraal |
| Polish | przyjazny dla środowiska; ekologiczny (także 'bio': wymaga certyfikatu); neutralny dla klimatu |
| Swedish | miljövänlig; hållbar; klimatneutral |
| Danish | miljøvenlig / bæredygtig; klimaneutral |
How to reword a flagged claim
- Replace the label with the fact behind it. "Eco-friendly packaging" becomes "Packaging: 90% recycled cardboard".
- Name the part and the share. A claim about one material must not read as a claim about the whole product.
- Keep only certified labels, and name the scheme. For example EU Ecolabel, Nordic Swan, Blue Angel, GOTS or FSC.
- Drop "carbon neutral" from the product. You can still say what you fund, for example "We fund carbon removal with X", without calling the product neutral.
Selling on Shopify? Check every product at once
A3E Green Claims Checker reads the titles, descriptions, SEO text, product types and tags of your whole catalogue with these same rules, lists flagged products by severity and explains each finding. Free for your 50 most recently updated products; Pro checks every product, re-checks each edit and exports a CSV (US$9.99 every 30 days, billed by Shopify, 7-day free trial).
Get it on the Shopify App StoreQuestions
When does the EU ban on generic green claims start?
Directive (EU) 2024/825, the Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition directive, applies from 27 September 2026. From that date its banned practices apply to products sold to consumers in the EU, wherever the seller is based.
Which words are banned?
The directive bans generic environmental claims such as eco-friendly, green, sustainable, ecological or climate friendly unless you can show recognised excellent environmental performance (for example the EU Ecolabel). It also bans claims that a product is carbon neutral or has a reduced impact because emissions are offset, self-made sustainability labels, and claims about the whole product that only cover one part of it.
Can I still say a product is made from recycled material?
Yes, if it is specific and true: name the part and the share, for example "Outer fabric: 80% recycled polyester (GRS certified)". Specific, checkable facts are what the directive allows in place of generic claims.
Does this apply to shops outside the EU?
It applies to commercial practices aimed at consumers in the EU, so a Canadian, US or UK shop that sells to EU customers is covered for those sales.
Is this checker legal advice?
No. It flags wording for a person to review. It cannot know what evidence or certification you hold, so a flagged claim may be acceptable if you can prove it, and wording it does not flag can still be a problem.
Is the text I paste stored?
No. The check runs in your browser with the same rules as the Shopify app; the text is not sent to A3E.
Questions or a claim the checker misses? [email protected]. A3E Ecosystem Inc., #503-7700 Hurontario St, Unit 531, Brampton, ON L6Y 4M3, Canada.