A claim is information appearing on a product, its packaging, or in related literature or advertising material, which can be taken as saying something about its environmental aspects. It can take the form of text, symbols, or graphics. A straight piece of advice to consumers of the product for example, about care in its use or disposal is not regarded as a claim. But such advice should still give consumers relevant information on which they can realistically act. More general claims about the nature of the business offering the product are covered in separate guidelines on non-advertising claims, issued by the Department of Trade and Industry.
Some claims have their own specific legal frameworks.
However, the code does cover environmental claims which have been voluntarily applied to these products. Use of the official EU ecolabel and energy label is governed by specific regulations. Truthful, accurate, and able to be substantiated. Businesses can be more certain of meeting these general principles of fairness in advertising and trade descriptions if they observe the other principles covered in this code. The ISO standard provides further information on how the detail can be got right in practice.