We were joined by Miles Lockwood, Director of Complaints and Investigations at the Advertising Standards Authority, and his colleagues to discuss the latest stages in the ASA’s Climate Change and the Environment workstream. A recording of the presentation is available below for ISBA members.
Green disposal claims
The ASA’s environmental guidance on green disposal claims, published in November 2023, is available here. The update clarifies that green disposal claims must be substantiated, and provides guidance on the types of information which, if included, would mean that these claims are less likely to mislead, including:
- Which parts of a product the claim relates to.
- Information about the disposal process, if that is likely to differ from the average consumer’s expectations.
- Information about how long it takes for a product to fully biodegrade or compost, if that is likely to differ from the average consumer’s expectations.
- Information about harmful by-products which are produced during the disposal process.
Claims in food advertising
The ASA’s research on environmental claims in food advertising is available here. Overall, the ASA’s research and review suggests that there are some specific areas and issues which would benefit from further dialogue and consideration in the coming months, but in general, there is no widespread need for enforcement action to bring claims into compliance with the ad rules.
ASA Copy Advice Service
Miles also reminded the meeting about the ASA’s free Copy Advice Service for advertisers, agencies, media owners and media service providers who want to check how their prospective non-broadcast ads measure up against the CAP Code. Full information on the Copy Advice Service is available here. For advice on broadcast ads, contact Clearcast for TV and Radiocentre for radio.
