MM Group has highlighted the urgent need for brands, retailers and packaging businesses to replace broad environmental slogans with specific and evidence-based packaging claims.

Clear, substantiated communication will help brands meet rising regulatory scrutiny while giving consumers the confidence to make informed choices, say experts at secondary packaging specialist MM Group.

The call comes ahead of the implementation of the EU’s Directive on Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition, which applies from 27 September 2026. This strengthens the rules governing environmental claims and sustainability labels in consumer communications. As European Commission analysis has found that 40 per cent of green claims examined had no supporting evidence, MM Group argues that packaging suppliers have a significant role to play in helping consumers to make better packaging choices.

Markus Müller, sustainability regulatory expert at MM Group, said the Directive should be taken seriously, alongside other recent legislation such as the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). “Consumers care about sustainability and want confidence that packaging will actually be recycled when they put it in the recycling bin,” he said. And yet, EU data shows that 62 per cent of EU consumers reported confusion about identifying sustainable options and mistrust of environmental information.

“Consumers should not need to be experts to understand a claim on a pack. If we say ‘recyclable’, ‘recycled content’ or ‘lower carbon’, we need to make clear what that actually means and what it was based on. Evidence builds credibility, but clarity makes that evidence meaningful. That has already been our approach at MM Group, and now the new Directive is turning it into a legal requirement.”

The new Directive, which was first adopted in 2024, specifically addresses several commonly-used vague environmental claims such as ‘green’ or ‘environmentally-friendly’, and restricts the use of sustainability logos or labelling not backed by an established certification scheme.

Claims should define their scope, use recognised certifications where appropriate, and avoid presenting one positive attribute – such as recyclability – as evidence of a product’s entire environmental performance. Technical accuracy must then be translated into concise language that clearly addresses real-world recycling outcomes. Taken together, the measures in the Directive shine a spotlight on the relationship between brands, retailers and packaging suppliers, setting new standards for communication and transparency throughout the supply chain.

Markus Müller, sustainability regulatory expert at MM Group, said this joined-up approach is essential for reducing regulatory and reputational risk, while also adding value to packaging. “MM supports customers by connecting circular packaging design with value-chain decarbonisation,” he added. “Our approach brings together product carbon footprints and life cycle assessments, supplier data, responsible sourcing, and material efficiency. This gives customers a solid evidence base to substantiate their claims and communicate them clearly.”

MM Group’s transparent approach has earned it recognition from a number of certification bodies. Recently, its Ibérica facility in Spain was awarded with an EcoVadis Platinum rating, placing it in the top one per cent of assessed businesses worldwide.

To learn more about MM Group, its secondary packaging innovations, and its value-adding services, visit www.mm.group

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