Due to possibly misleading advertising with environmental advantages, the German Environmental Aid (DUH) is on trial against five well -known companies.
The corporations Coty, L’Oréal, Deichmann, Tchibo and Toom, as the environmental association of the German Press Agency announced. The corresponding injunctive relief complaints were already submitted to the responsible regional courts in Darmstadt, Düsseldorf, Bochum, Hamburg and Cologne last Monday.
The DUH, for example, accuses the US cosmetics group Coty with a German seat in Darmstadt to apply sunscreen as ‘Ocean Friendly’, ie ‘ocean-friendly’, without explaining what content he is based on this property. So it is in the application that the dpa has.
Tchibo and Deichmann would also describe their shoes and clothing as ‘sustainable’ without justifying this. In the case of the TOOM hardware store chain, German environmental aid complains that the group sells laminate and describes it as ‘good for the environment’. The DUH also questions the ‘sustainability engagement’ of the company advertised by the L’Oréal.
Corporations have already reacted with adjustments
At the request of the dpa, the defendant corporations initially announced that the plaintiffs had not yet been officially delivered to them. Deichmann, Coty and Tchibo said they had already reacted to the allegations of the DUH with adjustments.
A spokeswoman for Coty Germany was surprised at the approach of the environmental association. Last year, the group decided not to use the ‘Ocean Friendly’ that complained about it and change production accordingly. German environmental aid has also been informed about it since January. A complaint therefore seems to her ‘reasonably amazing,’ said the spokeswoman.
She defended the content of her advertising statement. It is justified to speak of ‘ocean -friendly’ products because the statement is based on scientific studies. At first, the spokeswoman did not say which studies she refers to.
Deichmann announced that the DUH is warned regarding the supposedly irregular use of the term ‘sustainable’ in the company’s online shop. Deichmann has already made adjustments to this. “We take this matter very seriously,” it said.
Companies speaks of ‘formal judicial step’
On request, Tchibo emphasized that he had already reacted to a warning from the DUH with changes. In the duh complaint now submitted, he therefore sees a ‘formal law step’, as a spokesman wrote.
L’Oréal and Toom initially did not want to comment on and only pointed out that no injunction has been received by them so far.
Since December 2024, the DUH has made 19 procedures for possibly unjustified advertising with environmental advantages – including the five new cases. In total, the association has obtained cease-and-off declarations against companies in 64 cases because of misleading advertising with climate or environmental advantages.