From 27 September 2026, European Union law will ban vague environmental claims such as ‘eco-friendly’, ‘green’ or ‘biodegradable’ unless a company can back them up with recognised proof of excellent environmental performance, or state exactly what they mean. Next week, the same word will appear on the same kind of pack in Nigeria, meaning exactly what it meant last week: whatever the marketing department wanted it to mean.
One word is far more than the new rules laid down in Directive (EU) 2024/825. They ban sustainability labels that are not based on a recognised certification scheme, signalling the end of the era of the self-designed green leaf badge. They prohibit claims about an entire product or business when the benefit lies in just a part of it. They ban ‘climate neutral’ product claims based on buying carbon offsets rather than cutting emissions. Promises such as ‘net zero by 2050’ have to come with a plan for their implementation and for independent verification. Brand names can be claimed if they suggest an environmental benefit, and there is no transition period for products already on the shelf.
Europe was not acting on guesswork. More than half of the environmental claims examined by a European Commission study were found to be vague, misleading or unfounded, with 40% having no evidence to back them up at all. The principle behind the response is simple: the buyer now bears the burden of proof. Speak a specific truth that can be checked, or be silent.
Nigeria has taken the environment seriously, but it has aimed at a different target. For example, Lagos began fully implementing its ban on single-use plastics in July 2025, removing Styrofoam packs, straws, disposable cups, cutlery, and thin nylon bags from its shelves. Instead, PET bottles and sachet water were placed under extended producer responsibility, and new regulations from NESREA now require producers to fund and organise the recovery of what they sell. These are real accomplishments. But they do not control the waste.
What they do not control is a promise. Nigerian advertising rules prohibit misrepresentations and require that advertisements be honest and truthful. However, it does not tell a company what ‘eco-friendly’, ‘recyclable’ or ‘biodegradable’ must mean, or what evidence must underpin them. In practice, the label is free.
The gap between Nigerian green claims and a system that cannot honour them is more important here than in Europe. Nigeria produces some 2.5 million tons of plastic waste annually. Lagos alone generates about 870,000 tons, of which less than 12% is recycled. In Nigeria, a ‘recyclable’ pack is mostly a promise the city’s infrastructure can’t deliver on. Sometimes the shopper pays a premium for the virtue that ends in a city drain. The claim is paid for by the consumer and the environment. The brand comes out on top.
There is also a double standard waiting to happen. Many of the companies that fill the shelves of Nigerian supermarkets also sell in Europe. They have to prove or drop their generic green claims by the 27th of September. This is not a discipline that applies here, and a claim that a company can no longer make in Paris is still worth money in Nigeria. Under no circumstances should Nigeria be the destination of Europe’s retired claims to live. It is not just about protection either. Regardless, Nigerian brands that sell to European consumers, including through diaspora e-commerce, will have to meet the new standard. Those who learn the discipline at home will export more easily.
Business leaders do not need to wait for a regulator. Four steps would position a Nigerian brand ahead of the rules, not behind them. First, audit all environmental words on packs, websites, and adverts, and ask whether they can be proved in Nigeria rather than at a head office abroad. Secondly, use specific facts rather than generic language. For instance, ‘made with 30% recycled plastic’ is a verifiable claim, whereas ‘eco-friendly’ is not. Thirdly, remove self-made green badges not certified by an independent body. Fourth, use the term ‘recyclable’ only if the product can be recycled here, preferably with support from recovery rates that producers are now required to report under extended producer responsibility.
There is a role for regulators as well. The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission and ARCON could issue joint guidance on green claims, modelled on the European list and connected to NESREA’s recovery data, so that a claim on a pack can be verified against what actually happens to the pack afterwards.
When everything is eco-friendly, the word protects no one, least of all the companies that are really trying to do better. Nigerian cities like Lagos have already outlawed plastic. It’s time Nigerian businesses retired from the promise they can’t keep.
Louis Nzegwu is a professor of marketing at the Lagos Business School. He is an expert in marketing operations and teaches a variety of marketing courses, including Sales Management, Marketing Management, Pricing, Marketing Research, and Global Marketing courses, amongst others, and provides thought leadership for the Christopher Kolade Centre of Research in Leadership and Ethics.
Dr Emmanuel Orakwe is a Researcher at the Christopher Kolade Centre for Research in Leadership and Ethics, Lagos Business School.