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Environmental advice for business

Environmental advice for business

Businesses want to promote their environmentally friendly services and products. Trading Standards will support legitimate businesses who strive to make trueful and accurate claims, which are not ambiguous. It is important that consumers are not confused by environmental claims.

Environmental claims

Businesses need to provide accurate, truthful and clear information on all product labelling and packaging. This also applies to all advertising and marketing literature. Environmental claims must not mislead and are required to be substantiated with credible evidence.

The overall presentation of the product or service needs to be considered when making environmental claims. For example, any endorsements by environmental organisations must be accurate and truthful.

Find out more information about environmental claims on Business Companion.

Single-use plastics

From 1st October 2023, businesses must no longer supply, sell or offer certain single-use plastic items in England.

The ban on these items will include:

online and over-the-counter sales and supply, with the exception of plastic plates, bowls and trays when used as packaging
items from new and existing stock
all types of single-use plastic, including biodegradable, compostable and recycled
items wholly or partly made from plastic, including coating or lining

‘Single use’ means the item is meant to be used only once for its original purpose.

More Information:

Single-use plastics guide - Business Companion

Single-use plastics ban resources and toolkit – British Independent Retailers Association

List of banned items / exemptions:

List of banned items and details of exemptions - GOV.UK