Quick Read
Most environmental claims fail due to process failures rather than poor performance—marketing teams draft claims without assembling supporting evidence or applying the required ISO 14020:2022 and ISO 14021:2016 standards. This whitepaper provides a seven-step framework for developing accurate, substantiated, and legally defensible environmental claims, covering everything from identifying the environmental aspect through evidence renewal and qualification. Compliance is fundamentally about demonstrating that your claim development, substantiation, and maintenance meet specific standard requirements for your claim type and target markets.
Executive Summary
Most environmental claims fail before they are published.
The failure point for most environmental claims is not fabrication. It is process. Claims are drafted by marketing teams without reference to the underlying standards. Evidence is not assembled before the claim is used. Qualifications that would make the claim accurate are omitted because they complicate the message. And no one checks whether the claim as published is the same as the claim for which evidence exists.
ISO 14021:2016 (Self-declared environmental claims) and ISO 14020:2022 (Environmental statements and programmes for products) together define a rigorous process for making claims that are accurate, substantiated, and defensible. This whitepaper translates that process into a practical seven-step framework that any organisation can apply.
The framework covers:
Step 1: Identifying the environmental aspect to be claimed
Step 2: Selecting the correct ISO 14021 claim category
Step 3: Determining what evidence is required
Step 4: Applying the life cycle perspective
Step 5: Qualifying the claim correctly
Step 6: Establishing and documenting the environmental statement programme
Step 7: Maintaining the claim through evidence renewal
This whitepaper also includes five worked examples applying the framework to the most common claim types: Recyclable, Recycled Content, Carbon Neutral, Compostable, and Reduced Energy Consumption.
Section 1: Why Process Matters More Than Performance
An organisation with genuinely excellent environmental performance can still make non-compliant claims. The reverse is also true: a claim about a modest but real environmental benefit can be entirely compliant. Compliance with ISO 14021 and the regulatory frameworks that enforce it is primarily about process — how the claim is developed, substantiated, qualified, and maintained — not only about the underlying environmental outcome.
This distinction matters commercially because it changes what organisations need to invest in. The question is not only 'What is our environmental performance?' It is 'Can we demonstrate that performance in a way that meets the specific requirements of the applicable standard, for the specific claim type we are making, in the specific markets where the claim will appear?'
ISO 14020:2022 Clause 4.3 (the evidence-based methodology principle) states the requirement clearly: the methodology used to provide information for the environmental statement must be widely recognised and accepted, or otherwise defensible, to give confidence to the statement. The methodology must be appropriate to produce accurate and reproducible results.
The seven-step framework that follows is the operationalisation of that principle for self-declared claims under ISO 14021:2016.
A claim is not compliant because the organisation believes it to be true. A claim is compliant when it has been developed through a documented process, substantiated with current and specific evidence, appropriately qualified, and assessed against the applicable standard. Belief is not substantiation.
Section 2: The Seven-Step Framework
STEP 1: Identify the Environmental Aspect to Be Claimed
ISO 14021:2016 Clause 5.7(e) requires that environmental claims be specific as to the environmental aspect or environmental improvement which is claimed. Before any claim can be developed, the organisation must identify precisely what environmental attribute it is communicating.
An environmental aspect (ISO 14020:2022 Clause 3.1.3) is an element of an organisation's activities or products that interacts or can interact with the environment. Claims can relate to different types of environmental aspect:
Aspect Type | Examples | Typical ISO 14021 Claim Category |
Material composition | Percentage of recycled material; renewable vs virgin content | Recycled content (7.8); Renewable material (7.14) |
End-of-life characteristics | Recyclability; compostability; reusability; refillability; degradability | Recyclable (7.7); Compostable (7.2); Degradable (7.3); Reusable and refillable (7.12) |
Resource use in use phase | Energy consumed during operation; water consumed during use | Reduced energy consumption (7.9); Reduced water consumption (7.11) |
Resource use in production/distribution | Material reduction; water use in production; energy in manufacturing | Reduced resource use (7.10); Waste reduction (7.13) |
Greenhouse gas emissions | Carbon footprint; carbon neutrality; net zero | Carbon/GHG claims (7.17); ISO/TS 14067 |
Energy source in production | Renewable energy used in manufacturing; recovered energy | Renewable energy (7.15); Recovered energy (7.6) |
Product longevity | Extended durability; upgradability | Extended life product (7.5); Designed for disassembly (7.4) |
The critical discipline at Step 1 is specificity. An organisation that starts with 'we want to communicate our environmental credentials' is not ready to build a compliant claim. An organisation that starts with 'we want to communicate that our primary packaging contains 35% post-consumer recycled plastic, as verified through our supply chain documentation' is.
Step 1 excludes general benefit claims. 'Sustainable', 'eco-friendly', 'green', 'responsible', 'conscious', and 'environmentally friendly' are not environmental aspects — they are vague general descriptors prohibited by ISO 14021 Clause 5.3 and by regulatory frameworks across all major jurisdictions. They cannot be the starting point for a compliant claim because they do not describe a specific environmental attribute.
STEP 2: Select the Correct ISO 14021 Claim Category
ISO 14021:2016 Clause 7 provides specific requirements for fourteen named claim categories. Once the environmental aspect is identified, the organisation must determine which category the intended claim falls into. The category determines the specific requirements that apply.
ISO 14021 Clause 7.1.1 makes an important clarification: the onus on a claimant to follow the principles in Clause 7 shall not be diminished by substituting like terms. An organisation that avoids the word 'recyclable' but makes a claim that functions as a recyclability claim is still subject to the recyclability requirements.
Where a claim does not fit any specific Clause 7 category, it is a general environmental claim governed by the general requirements in Clauses 5 and 6. These general claims carry higher risk because they are more likely to be vague (Clause 5.3 prohibition) and because the absence of specific requirements does not reduce the evidence obligation.
ISO 14020:2022 also introduces the possibility of 'other types of environmental statement' (Clause 5.6) not addressed by a specific standard within the ISO 14020 family. These claims require the same programme infrastructure and general requirements, and should be approached with particular care given the absence of specific technical guidance.
STEP 3: Determine What Evidence Is Required
ISO 14021:2016 Clause 5.7(b) requires that claims shall be substantiated and verified. Clause 6.2.1 requires that evaluation measures be implemented before the claim is made. Clause 6.5.3 defines the minimum documentation that must be retained.
Evidence must satisfy four quality criteria to be adequate for claim substantiation:
Evidence Quality Criterion | What It Requires |
Currency | The evidence must reflect the product as it is currently marketed. Evidence more than approximately three years old, or predating a product reformulation, supply chain change, or market expansion, requires justification of continuing relevance. A claim that was accurate for a prior formulation is not evidence for the current product. |
Specificity | The evidence must apply to the specific product and packaging format for which the claim is made. General sector data, supplier marketing materials, or trade association statistics are not specific evidence. The evidence must be traceable to this specific product. |
Verifiability | The evidence must be in a form that a competent third party could access and assess without requiring disclosure of confidential business information (ISO 14021:2016 Clause 6.5.1). Internal estimates, undocumented calculations, and verbal representations are not verifiable evidence. |
Completeness | The evidence must address every element of the specific claim as drafted. A recycled content claim requires both the percentage calculation and the chain of custody documentation. Evidence that addresses one requirement while leaving another unsupported does not constitute complete substantiation. |
For specific claim categories, ISO 14021 defines additional evidence requirements. The following table sets out the minimum evidence requirements for the five most common claim types:
Claim Category | Minimum Evidence Requirements (ISO 14021:2016) |
Recyclable (Clause 7.7) | Evidence that (a) collection, sorting and delivery systems are conveniently available to a reasonable proportion of purchasers; (b) recycling facilities are available to accommodate the collected materials; and (c) the product is being collected and recycled (Clause 7.7.4). Geographic qualification where availability is not universal. |
Recycled Content (Clause 7.8) | Purchasing documentation and other records verifying the source and quantity of recycled materials (Clause 7.8.4.2). Calculation showing X% = (A/P) × 100 where A = mass of recycled material and P = mass of product. Post-consumer and pre-consumer content stated separately. |
Compostable (Clause 7.2) | Test certification against a recognised composting standard. For industrial composting: EN 13432 or equivalent. For home composting: AS 5810 or equivalent. Specification of which type of composting the certification covers, and evidence of facility availability if the claim depends on composting infrastructure. |
Reduced Energy Consumption (Clause 7.9) | Measurement using established standards for the relevant product category. Average value calculated by statistical processing. Defined comparator (Clause 6.3): prior product version, industry average, or named alternative. Baseline and current data using the same functional unit and measurement methodology. Note: evidence must relate to use-phase energy, not manufacturing energy. |
Carbon Neutral / GHG claims (Clause 7.17) | GHG inventory or carbon footprint calculated in accordance with ISO/TS 14067. Defined scope and boundary. For carbon neutral claims: statement of carbon footprint value and clear explanation of what has been offset, full details of the offset scheme used, and information enabling purchaser to access further information about the offset programme (Clause 7.17.3.3). |
STEP 4: Apply the Life Cycle Perspective
ISO 14020:2022 Principle 5 (Clause 4.6) requires that environmental statements take into account all relevant stages of the product's life cycle: raw material acquisition, production, distribution, use, and end-of-life. ISO 14021:2016 Clause 5.7(h) operationalises this as a specific requirement: claims must take into consideration all relevant aspects of the product life cycle in order to identify the potential for one impact to be increased in the process of decreasing another.
This requirement does not mandate a full lifecycle assessment for every claim. ISO 14020:2022 Clause 4.6, Note 2 states explicitly: 'Taking a life cycle perspective does not mean that an LCA is necessary.' What it does require is that the organisation has considered whether its claim about one lifecycle stage creates a misleading impression about the product's overall environmental profile.
Common lifecycle perspective failures:
A product made from recycled content but manufactured in an energy-intensive process cannot claim 'environmental benefit' without acknowledging the manufacturing impact. The recycled content claim itself may be accurate — but a broader environmental benefit claim would be misleading.
Packaging described as 'recyclable' where recycling infrastructure routes the material back into lower-value applications (downcycling) rather than equivalent-value applications should qualify the claim accordingly.
A claim of 'reduced energy consumption' based on the product's use-phase energy performance does not justify a claim about manufacturing energy (which is governed by the separate Clause 7.10 on reduced resource use).
A 'carbon neutral product' claim that accounts for production emissions but ignores use-phase and end-of-life emissions is not a product-level carbon neutral claim — it is a production-scope claim that must be scoped accordingly.
The lifecycle perspective requirement is the basis on which 'technically true but misleading' claims are found non-compliant. A claim can be entirely accurate for the lifecycle stage it addresses while creating a false impression about the product's overall environmental performance. Both the accuracy and the impression must be assessed.
STEP 5: Qualify the Claim Correctly
ISO 14021:2016 Clause 5.6 requires that self-declared environmental claims be accompanied by an explanatory statement if the claim alone is likely to result in misunderstanding. Clause 5.7(m) requires that the explanatory statement be of reasonable size and in reasonable proximity to the claim.
Qualification requirements are most stringent for claims that depend on infrastructure availability, geographic context, or defined conditions. ISO 14021 explicitly identifies four qualification formulations that are insufficient — because they acknowledge a limitation without communicating its extent to the average purchaser:
Insufficient Qualification | ISO 14021 Clause |
'Compostable where facilities exist' | Clause 7.2.2.4(c) |
'Recyclable where facilities exist' | Clause 7.7.2(c) |
'Reusable/refillable where facilities exist' | Clause 7.12.2.3(c) |
'Can be disassembled where facilities exist' | Clause 7.4.2.4(c) |
Beyond these specific cases, the general qualification principle requires that any condition on which the accuracy of the claim depends must be stated clearly. For carbon neutral claims under Clause 7.17.3.3, this means disclosing: the carbon footprint value; what has been offset; and full details of the offset scheme used including information that enables the purchaser to access further information about the offset programme. This is a substantive disclosure obligation, not a generic caveat.
For comparative claims under Clause 6.3, the qualification requirements include: identifying the comparator; using the same functional unit; calculating over an appropriate time interval (typically 12 months); and being clear about whether the claimed improvement is expressed as an absolute difference or a relative difference. The standard notes that a 50% relative improvement claim where the absolute improvement is 5 percentage points could be misleading, even if mathematically accurate.
STEP 6: Establish and Document the Environmental Statement Programme
ISO 14020:2022 Clause 6.1.1 requires that environmental statements be made based on an environmental statement programme that conforms to the requirements of the standard. For self-declared claims, the programme is typically established by the responsible party — the organisation making the claim.
In practice, most organisations have no documented environmental statement programme. They have a collection of claims, some evidence files, and an informal review process. Under ISO 14020:2022, this is not compliant. A documented programme is required.
The minimum content of an environmental statement programme for self-declared claims (ISO 14020:2022 Clause 6.1.2) is:
Programme owner and, if different, programme operator
The type of environmental statement (self-declared claim under ISO 14021)
The extent to which interested parties are involved (for self-declared claims: optional)
The scope of the programme: which products or product categories; which environmental aspects; which markets and channels
The specified requirements and criteria the subject matter must fulfil — i.e. a reference to ISO 14021 and any regulatory frameworks in scope
The quantification methodologies and data quality criteria — i.e. which standards or methods are used to measure and calculate the claimed attributes
The impartiality and competency requirements for any conformity assessment undertaken
The format of the environmental statement and where supporting information is available
The process for managing changes to the programme, criteria, or statements
The programme does not need to be a lengthy document. A well-structured procedure covering the above elements and specifying how claims are developed, reviewed, evidenced, and maintained is sufficient. What matters is that the process is documented and followed.
ISO 14020:2022 Annex A provides an illustrative example of a simple environmental statement programme for a compostability claim. The example — based on a fictional picnicware company — shows how a concise, structured programme can document all required elements in a practical format.
A documented environmental statement programme serves three functions: it creates internal discipline and accountability for claims quality; it provides the audit trail that regulators and procurement teams may request; and it is the operational framework within which evidence is collected, claims are reviewed, and updates are made. An organisation without a documented programme is making every claim on an ad hoc basis — which is exactly what the regulatory enforcement record shows creates legal exposure.
STEP 7: Maintain the Claim Through Evidence Renewal
ISO 14021:2016 Clause 5.7(q) creates a continuing obligation: claims shall be reassessed and updated as necessary to reflect changes in technology, competitive products, or other circumstances that could alter the accuracy of the claim. Clause 6.2.2 requires that evaluation documentation be retained for the period the product is on the market and a reasonable period thereafter.
A claim that was accurate at the time of making is not permanently accurate. Evidence ages, products change, supply chains evolve, and markets shift. A well-governed programme includes defined evidence renewal intervals and triggers.
Recommended evidence renewal triggers:
Trigger | Action Required |
Product reformulation or significant supply chain change | Full reassessment of all claims affected by the change; evidence updated to reflect the new product |
New market entry | Assessment of whether claims applicable in existing markets are valid in new markets — particularly for recyclability (infrastructure varies by geography) and compostability (available composting systems vary) |
Regulatory change in applicable jurisdiction | Review of all claims affected to assess continuing compliance with new requirements |
Evidence reaching 3 years old | Review and confirm continuing accuracy; update if the evidence no longer reflects current conditions |
GHG/carbon neutral claims | Annual recalculation; offset certificates must be current; time-bound nature of claims must be reflected in renewal |
Recycled content chain of custody | Renewal at certificate expiry or on supply chain change, whichever is sooner |
Recyclability infrastructure | Annual review; collection programme acceptance criteria and infrastructure can change |
Competitive context change | Where a comparative claim is made against another product or an industry average, material changes to the comparator require reassessment |
Section 3: Five Worked Examples
The following worked examples apply the seven-step framework to the five most commonly encountered claim types. Each example identifies the most frequent compliance failures and the specific evidence required.
Example 1: Recyclable Packaging Claim
Claim under consideration: 'Recyclable packaging'
Step | Application |
Step 1: Environmental aspect | End-of-life characteristic: the packaging can be diverted from the waste stream through available collection and processing systems |
Step 2: ISO 14021 category | Recyclable — Clause 7.7 |
Step 3: Evidence required | (a) Confirmation that collection, sorting, and delivery systems are conveniently available to a reasonable proportion of purchasers in the area where the product is sold. (b) Confirmation that the specific packaging format (material type, colour, size, label) is accepted by the relevant collection programmes. (c) Evidence that the product is being collected and recycled, not just that systems exist in principle. |
Step 4: Lifecycle perspective | Consider whether the recyclability claim creates a misleading overall impression if the product inside is not recyclable, or if the end use of the recycled material is downcycling rather than equivalent-quality recycling. |
Step 5: Qualification | If recycling infrastructure is not universally available: qualified claim is required. 'Recyclable where facilities exist' is NOT adequate (Clause 7.7.2c). The qualification must genuinely communicate the limited availability. |
Step 6: Programme | Document the claim, the evidence, the markets in scope, and the evidence renewal protocol. |
Step 7: Maintenance | Annual review of collection programme acceptance criteria. Immediate reassessment if the packaging format changes or if any market expands. |
Most common failure: Applying 'Recyclable' to packaging that is theoretically recyclable but for which kerbside collection is not available to a reasonable proportion of purchasers. The standard requires practical availability, not theoretical possibility.
Example 2: Recycled Content Claim
Claim under consideration: '30% recycled content'
Step | Application |
Step 1: Environmental aspect | Material composition: the product contains a defined proportion of recycled material, diverting waste from the waste stream into the product |
Step 2: ISO 14021 category | Recycled content — Clause 7.8 |
Step 3: Evidence required | Chain of custody documentation from the supplier(s) confirming the source and quantity of recycled material. Mass balance calculation: X% = (A/P) × 100 where A = mass of recycled material (post-processing, after accounting for losses) and P = total product mass. Post-consumer and pre-consumer content separately identified. In-process regrind excluded from the calculation. |
Step 4: Lifecycle perspective | A recycled content claim relates to material composition. If the product also makes other environmental claims, these must be separately evidenced. The recycled content does not by itself justify claims about carbon footprint, recyclability, or compostability. |
Step 5: Qualification | The percentage must be stated (Clause 7.8.2.1). Product and packaging percentages must be stated separately and not aggregated (Clause 7.8.2.2). If using variable content: 'at least X%' or 'greater than X%' is acceptable. |
Step 6: Programme | Document the claim, supplier, chain of custody certificates, mass balance methodology, and renewal intervals. |
Step 7: Maintenance | Renewal at supply chain change. Certificate renewal at expiry. Annual confirmation that in-process regrind exclusion remains correctly applied. |
Most common failures: (1) Combining post-consumer and pre-consumer content in a single percentage without distinguishing them. (2) Including in-process regrind in the recycled content calculation. (3) Applying a claim verified for the packaging to the product as well, or vice versa.
Example 3: Carbon Neutral Product Claim
Claim under consideration: 'Carbon neutral product'
Step | Application |
Step 1: Environmental aspect | Greenhouse gas emissions: the product has zero net greenhouse gas emissions across its defined lifecycle scope, either because emissions have been eliminated or because residual emissions have been offset |
Step 2: ISO 14021 category | GHG emissions claims — Clause 7.17. Carbon footprint quantification in accordance with ISO/TS 14067. |
Step 3: Evidence required | GHG inventory or product carbon footprint calculated in accordance with ISO/TS 14067. Defined scope and boundary. For offset-based claims: (a) the carbon footprint value; (b) a clear statement of which lifecycle elements have been offset; (c) full details of the offset scheme used; (d) information enabling the purchaser to access further information about the offset programme. ISO 14021 AMD 1:2021 adds requirements for separate disclosure of reductions vs offsets, offset quality criteria, and time-bound claims. |
Step 4: Lifecycle perspective | The scope of the carbon neutral claim must be precisely defined. A claim scoped to production only is not a product carbon neutral claim — it is a production-scope claim. The claim must not imply wider scope than the evidence covers. |
Step 5: Qualification | An unqualified 'carbon neutral' claim is explicitly prohibited by ISO 14021 Clause 7.17.3.2. The claim must either: (a) state that the carbon footprint is zero; or (b) clearly state which lifecycle elements have been offset and disclose the offset scheme fully. Under EU Directive (EU) 2024/825 (EmpCo, applying from 27 September 2026): a claim of neutral, reduced, or positive environmental impact based on carbon offsetting is blacklisted in B2C communications. |
Step 6: Programme | Document scope, methodology, GHG inventory, offset certificates, and annual renewal protocol. |
Step 7: Maintenance | Annual recalculation of the carbon footprint. Annual renewal of offset certificates. Review whenever product formulation, manufacturing process, or supply chain changes. |
Most common failures: (1) Unqualified claim without scope definition. (2) Offset disclosure that does not include the required details of the offset scheme and how purchasers can access further information. (3) Carbon neutral claim that is not time-bound. (4) From September 2026 in the EU: any carbon neutral claim based on offsetting is blacklisted under Directive (EU) 2024/825 regardless of offset quality.
Example 4: Compostable Claim
Claim under consideration: 'Compostable'
Step | Application |
Step 1: Environmental aspect | End-of-life characteristic: the product or packaging will break down to produce humus-like compost in defined conditions |
Step 2: ISO 14021 category | Compostable — Clause 7.2 |
Step 3: Evidence required | Test certification against a recognised composting standard. For industrial composting: EN 13432:2000 (or ASTM D6400 for US markets) or equivalent. For home composting: AS 5810:2010 (Australia) or equivalent. Certificate must cover the specific product format as manufactured — not just the primary material. |
Step 4: Lifecycle perspective | Compostability is only environmentally beneficial if composting infrastructure is accessible to purchasers. A compostable product in a market where only landfill disposal is available does not deliver the environmental benefit the claim implies. |
Step 5: Qualification | The claim must specify whether the composting facility is a home-composting facility OR an industrial/central composting facility — unless compostable in all types (Clause 7.2.2.2a). 'Compostable where facilities exist' is explicitly inadequate (Clause 7.2.2.4c). Industrial composting certification does not support a home compostability claim. |
Step 6: Programme | Document certification details, facility type covered, infrastructure availability evidence for the relevant markets. |
Step 7: Maintenance | Certificate expiry date triggers renewal. Product or material change triggers full reassessment. |
Most common failures: (1) Claiming 'Compostable' based on industrial composting certification without specifying that home composting is not applicable. (2) Using 'Compostable where facilities exist' as the full qualification. (3) Certifying the primary material only, not the complete product as manufactured (including inks, adhesives, and other components).
Example 5: Reduced Energy Consumption Claim
Claim under consideration: 'Uses 40% less energy'
Step | Application |
Step 1: Environmental aspect | Resource use in use phase: the product consumes less energy during its use phase than a defined comparator |
Step 2: ISO 14021 category | Reduced energy consumption — Clause 7.9. Note: this applies to USE-PHASE energy only. Manufacturing energy reductions are governed by Clause 7.10 (Reduced resource use). |
Step 3: Evidence required | Measurement using established standards and methods for the relevant product category. Average value calculated by statistical processing. Comparator: must be specified (prior product version, named alternative, or industry average). Both baseline and current measurements must use the same test method, the same functional unit, and the same measurement conditions. |
Step 4: Lifecycle perspective | Reduced use-phase energy does not justify a broader environmental benefit claim if manufacturing impacts are higher. The claim should be scoped to use-phase energy and should not imply overall lifecycle environmental superiority. |
Step 5: Qualification | The comparator must be clearly identified. The claim must be clear about whether it is expressing an absolute difference or a relative difference (Clause 6.3.3). A '40% less energy' claim where the comparator is an industry average must identify the industry average source and date. Clause 6.3.2(c) requires calculation over an appropriate time interval, typically 12 months. |
Step 6: Programme | Document the test method, the comparator, the measurement results, and the calculation. |
Step 7: Maintenance | Reassess when product design changes. Review annually where the comparator is an industry average, as the average may change. |
Most common failures: (1) Making a use-phase energy claim based on manufacturing energy data (prohibited by Clause 7.9.2.2). (2) Making a percentage reduction claim without disclosing the comparator. (3) Using relative percentage language ('40% less') without specifying whether this is expressed as absolute difference or relative difference.
Conclusion
The Framework Is Not Bureaucracy. It Is Protection.
The seven-step framework described in this whitepaper may feel like administrative overhead for organisations that are accustomed to drafting environmental claims as marketing copy. It is not overhead. It is the process that separates claims that can withstand regulatory scrutiny, procurement due diligence, and investor questions from those that cannot.
ISO 14021:2016 and ISO 14020:2022 were not written to make environmental communication harder. They were written to make it more credible — to ensure that claims actually communicate accurate information about actual environmental attributes. The organisations that apply this framework rigorously are not just compliant: they are making better, more specific, more credible environmental claims than their peers, and they can demonstrate that credibility to any audience that asks.
The worked examples in this whitepaper illustrate that compliant claims are not necessarily complex claims. 'Made with 35% post-consumer recycled PET, separately verified through our supply chain documentation, with product packaging content stated separately from product content' is more specific and more credible than 'made with recycled materials' — and it is also compliant. Specificity and compliance are not in tension. They are the same discipline.
About Speeki GreenDesk™
Speeki GreenDesk™ provides independent assessment of environmental claims against ISO 14021:2016 and applicable regulatory frameworks. All determinations are issued under Speeki's ISO 17021-1 accreditation through COFRAC (France) and ANAB (United States).
Standards and Regulatory References
ISO 14020:2022. Environmental statements and programmes for products — Principles and general requirements. Third edition. International Organization for Standardization, Geneva.
ISO 14021:2016. Environmental labels and declarations — Self-declared environmental claims (Type II environmental labelling). Second edition. International Organization for Standardization, Geneva.
ISO/TS 14067:2018. Greenhouse gases — Carbon footprint of products — Requirements and guidelines for quantification. International Organization for Standardization, Geneva. (Referenced in ISO 14021:2016 Clause 7.17.2.2 as the mandatory methodology for product carbon footprint quantification.)
EN 13432:2000. Packaging — Requirements for packaging recoverable through composting and biodegradation — Test scheme and evaluation criteria for the final acceptance of packaging. European Committee for Standardization.
AS 5810:2010. Biodegradable plastics — Biodegradable plastics suitable for home composting. Standards Australia.
ASTM D6400-23. Standard Specification for Labeling of Plastics Designed to be Aerobically Composted in Municipal or Industrial Facilities. ASTM International.
Directive (EU) 2024/825 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 February 2024. EmpCo Directive. OJ L, 6.3.2024. Note: Annex I blacklists claims of neutral, reduced, or positive environmental impact based on greenhouse gas offsetting from 27 September 2026.
Competition and Markets Authority (UK). Green Claims Code. Published September 2021.
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. Environmental and sustainability claims — a guide for business. December 2023.
Note: This whitepaper does not constitute legal advice.