Last month, the Commerce Commission released its new Environmental Claims Guidelines, which are intended to help businesses understand their Fair Trading Act obligations when making ‘green’ claims. The guidelines, which replace the Commission’s earlier Guidelines for Green Marketing from 2008, show that the Commission is taking environmental claims seriously, and businesses need to exercise care when using these sorts of claims in the marketplace.

In recent years, these sorts of claims have become increasingly common on everything from dishwashing liquid to fruit rollups. But how can consumers be sure they accurately understand these sorts of ‘green’ claims, and how can businesses make sure they don’t fall foul of the law?

Jenni Rutter examine the Commission's new guidelines below.

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