Ready for EmpCo with Plastic Credits
From September 2026, the EmpCo Directive will apply to companies in Germany. From that point on, all environmental claims must be traceable and transparently measurable. everwave’s Plastic Credits already meet the EmpCo standard today.
The EmpCo Directive at a glance
The EmpCo Directive will enter into force in September 2026. From then on, clear rules will apply to product advertising and environmental claims – and anything that is not verifiable and transparently substantiated may no longer be communicated. In the future, companies must be able to clearly and transparently demonstrate which ecological or social benefits their products actually provide. Misleading, unsubstantiated, or vague terms such as “environmentally friendly” or “green” may no longer be used from September onward.
In principle, the EmpCo Directive – “Directive empowering consumers for the green transition through better protection against unfair practices and better information” – is designed for consumers. Its aim is to support them in making informed purchasing decisions.
Checklist for companies – what needs to be considered
- No unprovable green claims:
In future, general environmental claims such as “sustainable”, “green” or “ecological” will only be permitted if they can be substantiated by verifiable environmental performance. For example, the statement “particularly climate-friendly” on packaging must be backed up by concrete, verifiable facts.
- Environmental claims apply to the entire product:
Claims may not be used for the entire product if they actually only apply to one part. For example, “made from ocean plastic” may not be used if only the packaging is affected.
- No misleading, company-wide environmental statements:
Environmental or sustainability statements about the entire company are inadmissible if they only apply to individual products, locations or business units.
- Only independently certified sustainability seals:
Sustainability seals may only be used in future if they are based on a government regulation or are part of an independent certification system that is carried out by independent third parties and has publicly accessible, transparent criteria.
- Future goals with a realistic plan:
Statements such as “plastic-free by 2030” are only permissible if there is a realistic, verifiable and publicly accessible transformation plan that contains concrete measures and timetables.
- No statements on climate neutrality through offsetting:
Statements that suggest that products or services have no or a positive impact on the climate are not permitted if this is achieved exclusively by offsetting emissions. Emission reductions must be the main focus and must be verifiable.
Plastic Credits fulfill the EmpCo guideline
Thanks to precisely traceable plastic credits, everwave is ready for the EmpCo Directive. And partner companies comply with EU requirements.
With us, every single Plastic Credit can be traced exactly – from the collection point to sorting and further processing, every work step can be tracked. Every kilogram of waste collected is entered into an internal company system, the processing is tracked and an individual plastic credit is created.
First and foremost is the collection: the collected waste is taken to our Zero Waste Centers and photographed there. The exact coordinates of the collection point are transferred to the system – so we can track exactly where the waste was collected.
After collection, the waste is sorted and dried in our Zero Waste Center and prepared for further processing. The sorted waste is passed on to various partners for further processing. These partners report how many kilograms of them have actually been processed – and our Plastic Credits are generated from this. In this way, we ensure that only plastic that has actually been processed is converted into Plastic Credits. Finally, every single Plastic Credit is given an individual number, its specific ID.
Throughout the entire process, we can track every single work step, track every single plastic credit transparently and know exactly where the plastic comes from and how it was further processed.
