Two espresso firms have had adverts banned for making the “misleading” suggestion that their espresso pods and baggage could possibly be composted at residence.
The Promoting Requirements Authority (ASA) mentioned the advert for Lavazza’s Eco Caps espresso pods, which acknowledged that clients might obtain a “coffee shop taste in compostable capsules for your home”, gave the deceptive impression that the pods could possibly be composted at residence, when actually they may solely be composted in an industrial setting.
Equally, the advert for “Dualit’s compostable coffee bags” implied that the pouches could possibly be composted domestically when this was not the case.
The ASA mentioned the merchandise had been licensed to the European Normal EN13432, which means they had been designed to interrupt down inside an industrial compost and wouldn’t essentially break down inside a home compost.
If the product did break down in a home compost, it has the potential to depart poisonous matter, whereas compostable plastics positioned into recycling collections might contaminate them, the ASA added.
Responding to the ASA, Lavazza mentioned shoppers would perceive the phrase “compostable” signifies that a product was manufactured from compostable materials, and never essentially that it was in a position for use in compost techniques at residence.
The espresso large mentioned it was not its intention for shoppers to grasp the advert as suggesting the capsules had been residence compostable, including that its web site acknowledged that they had been licensed for industrial composting.
Dualit mentioned comparable, including its espresso baggage had been licensed as industrially compostable and had been comprised of polylactic acid, a fabric derived from sugars extracted from vegetation and floor espresso.
Regardless of disagreeing with the ASA’s resolution, Lavazza mentioned it amended its advert and took it offline round 10 months in the past.
The ASA mentioned: “We know that when it comes to making purchasing decisions, the public are keen to make choices with the environment in mind.
“It is essential that manufacturers are clear about how simple it’s to get rid of merchandise in an environmentally pleasant manner, so individuals aren’t misled.”
