Organic
There is no specific legislation around the term ‘organic’ in Australia, but there are several organisations internationally that exist to certify products of this nature. In Australia, look for products with a certified organic logo from one of the six certifying organisations approved by the Department of Agriculture.
It’s worth noting that undergoing an organic certification process is voluntary, and the minimum standards vary depending on the organisation. Because of this, companies can still claim their products are organic in Australia without any certification, as long as that representation is not false, misleading or deceptive.
Flushable
Some products are ‘flushable’, in the sense they will enter sewer lines when flushed, but these can still pose a risk to sewerage systems. Flushable doesn’t necessarily mean the wipes will disperse like toilet paper.
In June 2019, the Federal Court found claims made by Kimberly-Clark about their flushable wet wipes were not false or misleading, but the ACCC is appealing this decision.
Though not all wet wipes claim to be flushable, Sydney Water estimates that 75 per cent of sewer blockages involve wet wipes. Consumer advocacy group Choice has produced a video that demonstrates how poorly some wipe products disperse in water, compared with toilet paper.
READ MORE:
ACCC loses lawsuit over flushable wipes
Natural
According to cosmetic chemist and Biologi founder Ross Macdougald, the term ‘natural’ is often misused on products because the industry is largely unregulated.
“In many cases, only a small percentage of a product is ‘natural’, or it contains natural ingredients that have been put through a chemical process,” Macdougald says.
Naturally derived
Be even more cautious of this claim, which can deceivingly imply a product is 100 per cent natural.
“In actual fact, ‘naturally derived’ means some ingredients derived from nature have been used to artificially create a product that is delivered in an unnatural form,” says Macdougald. “They are not natural; they are artificially created by humans.”
Clean
‘Clean’ is a sometimes used to imply a product has no synthetics – but this is not always the case. This word could also refer to a brand’s sustainability practices or reference that a product is vegan or ‘ethical.’
Anti-pollution
‘Anti-pollution’ is a newly popular cosmetic industry term for products said to protect skin from air pollution damage. Macdougald says, “These products have nothing new in them from your standard skincare products, and with that said, won’t help stop any pollutants that may come in contact with your skin.”
Hospital grade
Hospital grade is a term regulated by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in Australia. Companies must have their products tested for bactericidal activity in order to use this term.
The TGA outlines a list of other common cleaning product claims explaining to what degree these are regulated. Specific claims such as ‘active against polio’ and ‘kills viruses’ for example are regulated, whereas ‘anti-bacterial’ and ‘deodorises’ are not.
No chemicals
This term usually implies a product has no synthetics or harmful chemicals in it – but, literally speaking, there is no such thing as a food without chemicals.
As Macdougald points out, “Almost every substance – natural or synthetic – is a chemical, including air and water!” Or, as my biology teacher used to say, “Human are just a bag of chemicals with a pulse.”
Biodegradable
The word ‘biodegradable is not defined under Australian Consumer law (ACL), so its use on product labels is not strictly regulated. As it currently stands, products labelled as biodegradable plastics are sometimes made plastics that will break down into smaller pieces called microplastics, which cause serious environmental problems.
The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) recognises the increasing number of products using ‘biodegradable’ in a misleading manner. For example, the body recently appealed their case against Woolworths about plastic picnic products labelled ‘biodegradable and compostable’.
Consumers can be assured they are buying a truly compostable or biodegradable product if this has been certified by Australasian Bioplastics Association (ABA), which runs a voluntary verification scheme for products suitable for industrial or home composting.
Compostable
‘Compostable’ is another ambiguous term, as the time required for something to decompose varies wildly depending on the conditions and equipment used.
For example, you might have seen brand of takeaway coffee cup labelled ‘compostable’, thinking this is appropriate to chuck in your household compost bin. According to The Sydney Morning Herald, these cups actually require a 55 degree-plus environment over several weeks to actually break down, which is only achievable only in specialised composting centres.
ABA certified products made from biodegradable plastics suitable for home composting are labelled with the Home Compostable Verification logo.
Eco-friendly
Be cautious of vague terms such as ‘eco-friendly’, ‘ethical’, ‘sustainable’ and ‘green’ that aren’t strictly defined. A better strategy is to look into a company’s labour force conditions, and the environmental impact of their production, packaging and transportation. But that’s hard work – and companies rely on you not doing it.
Macdougald says the current system relies too heavily on consumers to raise concerns of a product claim, instead of industry regulators and setting strict standards from the outset.
