Article

You have seen the green packaging, the stylised leaf, the "100% natural" slogan… You may have felt you were being sold a promise rather than real change. That feeling has a name: greenwashing.

Long treated as a reputational risk, the practice is now a criminal offence in France. In October 2025, the French consumer protection authority (DGCCRF) found that more than 15% of the businesses it inspected had serious shortcomings in their environmental claims.

What is greenwashing? A definition

Greenwashing refers to a company exaggerating, dressing up or distorting its environmental efforts in order to project a more virtuous image than reality warrants. It takes various forms:

• Vague claims ("environmentally friendly product") with no evidence or certification
• Misleading imagery on polluting products
• Selective data that hides the overall impact
• Phantom labels with no external verification
• Carbon offsets presented as a miracle solution

Greenwashing and greenhushing

Greenwashing means saying too much, and saying it badly. Greenhushing, by contrast, means saying nothing for fear of criticism: according to South Pole (2024), 44% of communications and CSR departments have given up communicating about their commitments. The right path: proportionate, factual and transparent communication.

The legal framework in France and Europe

In France, the AGEC law has banned vague or unsubstantiated environmental claims, and the Climate and Resilience law has listed greenwashing among misleading commercial practices. At European level, the EmpCo, ESPR and PPWR regulations and the ECGT directive reinforce this trend.

What are the penalties?

• Fines of up to €1.5m for companies (up to 10% of turnover), rising to €3.75m where digital media are involved
• Up to 2 to 5 years' imprisonment for individuals
• Major reputational risk in the age of social media

How to avoid greenwashing: 5 principles

• Only communicate about what you can prove
• Keep your claims proportionate
• Avoid vague terms ("green", "ecological")
• Choose certified labels
• Show the complexity and the trajectory

At Circul'R, we help companies communicate rigorously about their circular commitments, from training through to auditing practices.