Pakistan serves notices to 12 cosmetic companies for ‘greenwashing,’ misleading marketing

KARACHI: The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) announced on Saturday it had served notices to 12 cosmetics companies for running “deceptive marketing campaigns” by engaging in “greenwashing,” falsely describing their products as organic and devoid of any chemicals.
The CCP is a regulatory agency with a fundamental mandate to ensure a level playing field for all market players and to protect consumers from anti-competitive practices, predatory behavior and price-fixing.
The CCP statement also highlighted that Section 10 of the Competition Act, 2010, prohibits misleading marketing practices and emphasizes “accuracy, integrity, reliability and truthfulness” in marketing communication to assist consumers in making informed purchase decisions.
“The Competition Commission of Pakistan has taken cognizance of deceptive marketing by the beauty products’ manufacturers and issued notices to 12 companies regarding their false and misleading claims,” the CCP said.
“CCP’s preliminary probe revealed that these Undertakings were prima facie engaged in ‘greenwashing’, advertising their products as ‘Natural, Organic, Sustainable, Pure, and Chemical Free’ without having any scientific evidence to support their claims,” it added. “Such unsubstantiated marketing claims not only mislead the consumers but also pose potential health risks.”
It added the notices issued by its officials could ultimately lead to responsible marketing practices prioritizing environmental integrity and consumer trust.
The statement also urged consumers to remain vigilant and report false advertising claims along with any health hazards caused as their consequence.