Is Tetra Pak deceiving the consumers?

Deutsche Umwelthilfe sues Tetra Pak for consumer disappointment

10/17/2011

Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) has filed a lawsuit against the packaging manufacturer Tetra Pak in the Wiesbaden district court for consumer misrepresentation. As „100 percent recyclable“ advertised, beverage cartons „made of paper fibers, aluminum and plastic“ in truth, only one third „recycled material“, The DUH general manager Jürgen Resch justified the current complaint.

The cartonboard manufacturer Tetra Pack unjustly advertises in the opinion of the German environmental aid that the cartons „100 percent recyclable“ are. By „such greenwashing“ make the company its products „greener than they are“ and operate „a new kind of extra bold consumer deception“, said the DUH general manager Jürgen Resch and lawyer dr. Remo Klinger, who represents the environmental aid in the context of the legal dispute. The DUH calls for a stop to the misleading advertising campaign by Tetra Pak and an ecological reassessment of supposedly environmentally friendly carton packaging by the federal government.

Only a third is recycled
Deutsche Umwelthilfe is of the opinion that Tetra Pak GmbH & Co KG consciously lets its consumers believe in their advertising campaign that the beverage cartons could be completely recycled. Although in fact only slightly more than 30 percent of the raw materials „the recycled cartonboard recycled in Germany“ Jürgen Resch explained. The head of the Circular Economy Department at DUH, Maria Elander, added that „almost everything is recyclable in theory“ is, but the practice is very different - „as the handling of the beverage cartons makes clear.“ With the advertising claims Tetra Pack operate a particularly brash form of consumer delusion, which must be checked by the court, said the experts of the DUH.

Consumer disappointment through greenwashing
With reference to the information provided by the Federal Environmental Agency (UBA) and other sector inquiries, DUH cites numerous reasons for the fact that not all Tetra Pak packaging in Germany is currently being recycled. In the end, according to DUH's calculations, only one third of the material, the beverage cartons sold in Germany, is recycled. Accordingly, it is „Tetra Pak's claim that its beverage carton packaging would be completely recycled was simply wrong“, emphasized the expert for circular economy, Maria Elander. The request to refrain from misleading advertising claims that Tetra Pak had not complied, so that the DUH was forced to file a lawsuit against the company, emphasized. Remo Klinger. „Such greenwashing is unfair and is not tolerated by the courts“, so the statement of the lawyer.

predicate „ecologically beneficial“ check
In the opinion of Jürgen Resch, the DUH's current calculations also include a review of the predicate given by the Federal Environment Agency about ten years ago „ecologically beneficial“ required for Tetra Pak packaging. Because that time „assumed recycling rate of 64 percent“ become today „not nearly reached“, so the statement of the DUH-federal manager. In addition, a study by the Swedish Food Authority (Livsmedelsverket) has shown that one-liter milk cartons with screw cap compared to conventional one-liter cartons caused by a 50 percent increase in emissions of greenhouse gases. According to the DUH, these beverage cartons with plastic pouring aids are also becoming more widespread in Germany and have almost supplanted the previous beverage carton from the market. The modern beverage cartons are significantly heavier and contain increasingly plastics and aluminum, with the proportion of pulp decreases continuously, so the criticism of the DUH. The Federal Director of the German Environmental Aid therefore urgently demanded one „ecological revaluation“ the „allegedly environmentally friendly beverage cartons by the Federal Ministry for the Environment.“ (Fp)

Image: Bastian Scheefe