Directive (EU) 2024/825 has been adopted with an ambitious and strategic objective: to empower consumers for the green transition through better protection against unfair commercial practices and clearer and more reliable information on the environmental and social characteristics of goods and services.
This new European framework essentially strengthens the fight against so-called greenwashing — marketing practices in which companies provide ambiguous, exaggerated or false information about environmental benefits to attract customers — and extends the obligations of transparency and truthfulness in commercial communications.
More information here:
https://www.ecogestor.com/en/directive-greenwashing-empowerment-consumers-eu-2024-825
On July 12, 2021, Maine became the first state in the nation to pass an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for Packaging law requiring large corporations and manufacturers to help pay for the cost of recycling their wasteful packaging, much of it plastic.
Passed by the Washington Legislature in 2025, the Recycling Reform Act (Chapter 70A.208 RCW) creates an extended producer responsibility (EPR) program for residential packaging and paper products. The law requires producers of these products to join and fund a nonprofit Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO). Starting in 2030, recycling service providers will have most of their costs reimbursed by the PRO.
Denmark has introduced a new Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulation for clothing and footwear, creating country-specific compliance requirements separate from EU-wide rules. Beginning July 1, 2026, producers placing products on the Danish market will be financially and operationally responsible for their end-of-life management. Companies should begin preparing now to understand registration, reporting, and fee obligations to ensure compliance and avoid penalties.
More information here:
California’s green claims laws combat “greenwashing” by prohibiting misleading environmental marketing, notably through SB 343 (restricting the chasing arrows symbol and recyclability claims to genuinely recyclable items) and AB 1305 (requiring disclosures for certain carbon offset and climate-related claims), supported by broader consumer protection laws like the UCL, CLRA, and BPC § 17580.5, holding companies accountable for unsubstantiated claims about being “eco-friendly,” “biodegradable,” or “net zero”.