Can I actually say that on my website?

It has no agreed meaning, so a customer can read it as 'this product does no environmental harm' — which is almost never true. The ACCC specifically names broad, unqualified claims like this as a problem.

What you'd need to show

You would need to substantiate the whole environmental footprint of the product, not one attribute of it.

Safer wording

Name the actual attribute: 'Packaging made from 80% recycled cardboard' instead of 'eco-friendly packaging'.

ACCC principle: Vague or unqualified claims

Used on its own it implies the product or business is sustainable overall. The ACCC treats sweeping, unqualified claims as high risk because they promise more than the evidence usually supports.

What you'd need to show

Whole-of-lifecycle evidence, or a clearly stated limit on what part of the business the claim covers.

Safer wording

'Our cotton is certified organic' or 'We've cut freight emissions by 30% since 2023' — specific and checkable.

ACCC principle: Vague or unqualified claims

This is a measurable claim, so it must actually be measured. You also need to be clear whether it covers the product, the shipping, or the whole business — and whether it relies on offsets.

What you'd need to show

An emissions calculation, the scope it covers, and details of any offsets purchased (registry, vintage, quantity).

Safer wording

'Carbon neutral shipping — emissions from delivery are measured and offset through [scheme]'.

ACCC principle: Unsubstantiated claims

Technically recyclable is not the same as recyclable where your customer lives. If it needs a drop-off point or a specialist facility, leaving that out is the misleading part.

What you'd need to show

Confirmation the item is accepted in kerbside recycling in the areas you sell to, or clear instructions where it isn't.

Safer wording

'Box is kerbside recyclable. The inner sleeve isn't — return it to a soft plastics drop-off.'

ACCC principle: Omission of relevant information

Most 'compostable' packaging only breaks down in an industrial composting facility, which most Australian households cannot access. 'Biodegradable' without a timeframe or condition says almost nothing.

What you'd need to show

The relevant standard (for example AS 4736 for industrial or AS 5810 for home composting) and the conditions required.

Safer wording

'Certified commercially compostable (AS 4736) — not suitable for home compost bins.'

ACCC principle: Omission of relevant information

It's an absolute claim, so any plastic anywhere in the product, liner, tape, label or satchel makes it wrong. Absolute claims leave you no room to be partly right.

What you'd need to show

A component-by-component check of the product and all its packaging.

Safer wording

'Plastic-free packaging — our shipping satchel is paper with a paper tape seal.'

ACCC principle: Absolute claims

Customers hear 'natural' as safer and better for the environment. Neither follows automatically, and the word isn't defined in Australian Consumer Law.

What you'd need to show

Evidence for whatever the customer is likely to take from it, which is usually broader than you intended.

Safer wording

List the actual ingredients or the percentage that's plant-derived.

ACCC principle: Vague or unqualified claims

Pure marketing shorthand with no measurable content. 'Greener' is also a comparison, which raises the obvious question: greener than what?

What you'd need to show

A stated baseline and a like-for-like comparison if you're using 'greener'.

Safer wording

'Uses 40% less water than our previous formula (tested 2025).'

ACCC principle: Vague or unqualified claims

These are claims about your supply chain, and customers read them as a guarantee of working conditions or sourcing standards.

What you'd need to show

Supplier audits, certification, or documented sourcing standards you can point to.

Safer wording

'Sewn in a facility audited to [standard] — audit summary available on request.'

ACCC principle: Unsubstantiated claims

Forward-looking claims are still claims. The ACCC has taken court action over unqualified promises about what a product or business will become, where there was no clear plan behind them.

What you'd need to show

A documented, funded plan with interim targets you're actually tracking against.

Safer wording

'We're targeting net zero by 2030. Here's our plan and where we're up to' — with the plan linked.

ACCC principle: Aspirational / future claims

A green leaf badge you designed yourself can imply independent certification you don't have. Using a real scheme's mark outside its terms is also a problem.

What you'd need to show

The actual certification, current and in scope for the product it appears on.

Safer wording

Name the scheme and the certificate scope, or drop the badge and describe the attribute in words.

ACCC principle: Certification & symbol misuse

Technical or scientific-sounding terms can look like proof while telling the customer nothing they can verify. The ACCC flags jargon that obscures rather than informs.

What you'd need to show

A plain-English explanation of what the term means for this product.

Safer wording

Explain it in one sentence: 'Made from plastic collected within 50km of coastlines in [country]'.

ACCC principle: Technical or scientific jargon