Your client sends a brief. Somewhere between format specs and delivery deadline there’s one sentence: “materials must be eco-friendly”. It sounds harmless — until you ask exactly what that means. Because from now on, “eco” on a banner, roll-up or POS display is not aesthetics or good intentions. It’s a claim that must be backed by documentation.
EU Directive 2024/825 on combating greenwashing is now in force. It applies to everyone — the manufacturer, the agency and the brand manager who approved the message. Responsibility for environmental claims runs across the entire chain: from the print supplier through the agency to the end client.
What has actually changed?
The law hasn’t invented anything new — it has clarified what should always have been obvious: if you call something eco-friendly, you need to prove it. The difference is that before, “proving it” roughly meant “being able to explain it”. Now it means: holding a certificate from an accredited external body. A manufacturer’s own declaration — even sincere and accurate — is no longer sufficient.
A second key point: an environmental claim must refer to a specific attribute, not a general impression. Eco packaging doesn’t make the product eco. Eco transport doesn’t make the whole company eco. A banner printed with certified ink doesn’t make the campaign eco.
Where do agencies and brand managers enter the risk zone?
Three situations that look innocent but create real legal exposure:
– A brief with a generic “eco materials” requirement. The client writes “we want environmentally friendly materials” — the agency passes this to the printer, the printer confirms “yes, we have eco options”. Nobody asks for a certificate. The materials go into production labelled “eco” and nobody in the chain holds the document to back it up.
– POS or event material with an eco claim on the piece itself. If a display, banner or display wall carries a message suggesting eco credentials — without specifying scope and certificate — that is exactly what the directive warns against. Even if one component (e.g. the ink) is genuinely certified.
– Campaigns claiming carbon neutrality. “Carbon neutral” now requires documented emission reductions — not the purchase of offset certificates. That’s a significant shift for many players.
5 questions to ask your print supplier
A list to save, print and send with every brief that includes the words “eco”, “green”, “sustainable” or similar. A good supplier will answer each with a concrete document. Good means safe — for you, your agency, your client.
1. What certifications do you hold and from which accredited body? Not “are you eco” — but “what certificate do you have and who issued it”. A manufacturer’s own declaration or self-certification doesn’t meet the directive’s requirements. The certificate must come from an external, accredited institution.
2. What is the exact scope of that certification? A certificate may cover a specific product line, a particular raw material or just one stage of the process. Ask directly: what does it cover and what does it not cover. That boundary determines what you’re allowed to say in your communications.
3. Can you supply supply-chain documentation? For certifications such as FSC, the printer’s certificate alone is not enough. It must be possible to trace the material’s origin from source. Ask whether that documentation is available and how quickly.
4. What specific wording can I use in communications based on your documentation? This is the question most buyers skip — and where the gap appears. Ask the supplier for a concrete list: “based on this you can say X, but you cannot say Y”. A supplier who knows what they’re doing will answer without hesitation.
5. What happens if my client asks me for proof? Do you hold documents I can pass on without modification? In the event of an audit or complaint, you will be the first point of contact. Your supplier should be prepared for that scenario.
What to avoid in your messaging — without a certificate, these terms carry legal risk:
“eco-friendly” · “green” · “sustainable” · “climate-friendly” · “biodegradable” · “carbon neutral” · “zero waste” · green leaf graphics suggesting official eco labellingEach of these requires an external certificate or documented proof of high ecological performance for the specific attribute claimed.
What does this mean for you?
The directive isn’t a scare tactic — it’s a market clean-up that should have happened years ago. For agencies and brand managers the change is straightforward: before anything with an environmental message goes into production, it needs a document behind it. Not a declaration. Not conviction. A document.
A print supplier who understands this shift and can answer the five questions above is a partner you can safely work with on projects with environmental requirements. One who answers “absolutely, everything we do is eco” without documentation — is not.
Have a brief with environmental requirements?
Tell us what your client requires — which certifications, what scope, what claims need to appear in the communication. We’ll tell you directly what we can offer and what you’ll be able to communicate on that basis.
No generalities. Based on your specific brief.