Overview
- The Tribunal judiciaire de Paris ruled on Monday that Volvic’s labels saying ‘neutre en carbone’ or ‘100% recyclable’ were likely to mislead consumers because emissions from bottle production were not fully offset and some packaging components were not fully recyclable.
- The court ordered Volvic to pay €75,000 in damages to the consumer group CLCV and to publish the judgment on Volvic’s website homepage for six months.
- Danone said the claims had rested on a Carbon Trust certification granted in 2020 that was withdrawn in September 2023 and that the company contests the court’s reasoning and will appeal the decision.
- The judgment cited concrete recyclability limits including partial actual recycling of bottles and non-recyclable label glue and ink, highlighting how small production details can make blanket recycling claims inaccurate.
- Consumer groups call the ruling a precedent that could strengthen enforcement across the EU after a 2023 BEUC complaint about plastic bottle environmental claims and may push companies to be more precise about certifications and offsets.