„Recyclable vs. recycled"
Annex I No. 4a UCPD as amended by EmpCo (EU 2024/825), UWG § 5
What does it mean?
The terms 'recyclable' and 'recycled' are often used interchangeably in everyday language, although they have different meanings. 'Recyclable' merely means that a material can theoretically be reused, whilst 'recycled' means that it has actually been made from recycled material. The EmpCo Directive tightens the requirements for substantiating environmental claims and clarifies that a claim such as 'recyclable' may be misleading without stating the actual recycling rate and sortability. Under § 5 UWG, this constitutes inadmissible, omitted information. Companies must transparently disclose what proportion of the product actually consists of recycled material and what evidence exists for this.
Typical phrasings
- 'This bottle is recyclable' – inadmissible without stating the actual recycling rate and sortability.
- 'Made from 100% recycled material' – permissible if the proportion is verifiable (e.g. through ISO 14021).
- 'Our packaging is fully recyclable' – misleading if the actual recycling rate is significantly lower.
Required evidence
- DIN SPEC 91446 (PET-Recycling)
- ISO 14021 (Umweltkennzeichnungen)
- DSD-Recyclingquote (Deutschland)
Rechtsgrundlage (Originalwortlaut)
Anhang I Nr. 4a UCPD (i.d.F. EmpCo) — generische Umweltaussage ohne anerkannte Nachweise
Quelle: Richtlinie (EU) 2024/825 (EmpCo) — verbindlich ist ausschließlich die im Amtsblatt der Europäischen Union veröffentlichte Fassung.
DEDeutsch (amtlich, DE-Fassung Amtsblatt)aufklappenzuklappen
„Treffen einer allgemeinen Umweltaussage, wobei der Gewerbetreibende die anerkannte hervorragende Umweltleistung, auf die sich die Aussage bezieht, nicht nachweisen kann."ENEnglish (Official Journal, EN version)aufklappenzuklappen
„Making a generic environmental claim for which the trader is not able to demonstrate recognised excellent environmental performance relevant to the claim."FRFrançais (Journal officiel, version FR)aufklappenzuklappen
„Présenter une allégation environnementale générique au sujet de laquelle le professionnel n'est pas en mesure de démontrer l'excellente performance environnementale reconnue en rapport avec l'allégation."NLNederlands (Publicatieblad, NL versie)aufklappenzuklappen
„Het maken van een generieke milieuclaim zonder dat de handelaar erkende voortreffelijke milieuprestaties kan aantonen die relevant zijn voor de claim."Does your website use „Recyclable vs. recycled"?
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