Is “Sustainable” still allowed under EU law?
Not on its own. Under the EmpCo Directive this is a generic environmental claim, prohibited unless you can demonstrate recognised excellent environmental performance.
How common is it?
We found this term in a flagged claim on 301 of the 680 websites we have scanned — 44.3%.
- sites affected
- 301
- times flagged
- 1158
- flagged at highest severity
- 190
Why it is a problem
One of the most commonly flagged terms. Banned as a standalone claim because it implies overall environmental excellence without evidence.
What to write instead
Specify which aspect is sustainable and provide proof, e.g. "Sustainably sourced cotton, GOTS certified."
The legal basis
Directive (EU) 2024/825 — the Empowering Consumers Directive — adds environmental claims to the Annex I blacklist of the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive. It applies across the EU from 27 September 2026, with no transition period. Penalties reach 4% of annual turnover in the member state concerned.
Check whether your own site uses this term
Paste your URL and see every environmental claim on your pages checked against all 82 restricted terms. The first check is free and needs no account.
Figures come from EcoClaim's own scan corpus, last updated 2026-08-22. It is a self-selected sample — sites run through our public checker, not a random sample of EU commerce.