# Sustainability Claim Language Guide

## Risky Claims → Compliant Alternatives

### General Environmental Claims

| Risky Claim | Why It's Risky | Compliant Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| "Eco-friendly" | Vague, implies broad benefit without specifics | "Made with 50% post-consumer recycled content" |
| "Green" | Vague, undefined, easily challenged | "Ships in 100% recycled cardboard packaging" |
| "Sustainable" | Overly broad, implies no negative impact | "Our materials are sourced from [specific certified source]" |
| "Natural" | Doesn't mean safe or sustainable; FDA/FTC regulated | "[Specific ingredient] derived from [specific plant/mineral]" |
| "Chemical-free" | Everything is made of chemicals; scientifically inaccurate | "Formulated without [specific chemicals: parabens, sulfates, etc.]" |
| "Non-toxic" | Requires substantiation for all foreseeable uses | "Tested and certified [specific standard] for [specific use]" |
| "Environmentally safe" | Implies zero impact, almost impossible to prove | "Designed to minimize [specific impact] through [specific method]" |
| "Planet-friendly" | Vague, emotional, unsubstantiated | "[Specific practice] that reduces [specific impact] by [amount]" |

### Recyclability Claims

| Risky Claim | Why It's Risky | Compliant Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| "Recyclable" (unqualified) | Must be recyclable by 60%+ of consumers where sold | "Recyclable in communities with [type] recycling programs (check locally)" |
| "Made from recyclable materials" | Doesn't mean the product IS recyclable after use | "Made from [X%] recycled content; [check local recycling for end-of-life disposal]" |
| Recycling symbol (♻) | Misleading if product isn't widely recyclable | Use How2Recycle label or specific disposal instructions |
| "100% recyclable packaging" | Must be true for ALL packaging components (box, tape, insert, fill) | "Outer box is 100% recyclable cardboard. Tissue paper should be composted or reused." |

### Biodegradability Claims

| Risky Claim | Why It's Risky | Compliant Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| "Biodegradable" | Must decompose within 1 year in standard disposal | "Compostable in industrial composting facilities (BPI certified)" |
| "Breaks down naturally" | Implies biodegradable without specifying conditions | "Decomposes in [specific conditions] within [specific timeframe]" |
| "Returns to nature" | Poetic but meaningless from a compliance standpoint | "Certified compostable — breaks down into natural elements in [X] weeks in commercial composting" |

### Carbon Claims

| Risky Claim | Why It's Risky | Compliant Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| "Carbon neutral" (unqualified) | Must specify scope and offset method | "Carbon neutral product (cradle to gate) — offsets verified by [standard]" |
| "Zero carbon" | Almost impossible to achieve and prove | "Net-zero operational emissions through [renewable energy] + [offsets for remainder]" |
| "Climate positive" | Implies more carbon removed than emitted — very hard to prove | "We offset 120% of our measured Scope 1 & 2 emissions through [verified projects]" |
| "Low carbon" | Low compared to what? | "40% lower carbon footprint than conventional [product type] (verified by [method])" |

### Social & Ethical Claims

| Risky Claim | Why It's Risky | Compliant Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| "Ethically made" | Vague, undefined standard | "Made in [Fair Trade / SA8000] certified facilities" |
| "Cruelty-free" | Must cover entire supply chain, not just finished product | "Leaping Bunny certified — no animal testing at any stage of production" |
| "Handmade" | FTC requires substantial hand processes | "Hand-[specific process: poured, stitched, painted] by artisans in [location]" |
| "Small batch" | No standard definition | "Made in batches of [specific number] to reduce waste" |
| "Fair wages" | Compared to what benchmark? | "All workers earn at or above [specific living wage benchmark] for their region" |

## Strong Claim Formulas

### Formula 1: Certification + Specific Claim
> "[Certification name] certified [material/process] — [one sentence explaining what that means for the customer]"

Example: "GOTS-certified organic cotton — grown without synthetic pesticides or genetically modified seeds, verified annually by independent auditors."

### Formula 2: Quantified Improvement + Comparison
> "[X%] [less/more] [specific metric] compared to [specific baseline], [verified by/measured via]"

Example: "70% less water used in production compared to conventional cotton farming, measured by the Higg Materials Sustainability Index."

### Formula 3: Specific Action + Transparent Scope
> "We [specific action] for [specific scope]. [What's not yet covered and what you're doing about it.]"

Example: "We offset 100% of shipping emissions for all US orders through Gold Standard verified carbon credits. International shipping offsets are in progress — expected by Q3 2026."

### Formula 4: Progress Narrative + Data
> "[Where we started] → [where we are] → [where we're going]. [Current number]."

Example: "In 2023, 15% of our collection used recycled materials. Today it's 45%. Our goal is 80% by 2027. Every product page shows its material breakdown."

## Words and Phrases to Avoid Entirely

These terms are so vague or misleading that no qualification makes them safe:
- "Clean" (as a sustainability term — acceptable for ingredient safety with specifics)
- "Pure" (unless referring to ingredient purity with testing data)
- "Earth-conscious" / "Planet-conscious"
- "Green" (as standalone adjective)
- "Zero impact"
- "Guilt-free"
- "Save the planet"
- "Mother Nature approved"