The EmpCo Checklist: 5-Minute Checklist for Marketing and Sustainability Teams

Starting in September 2026, the EmpCo Directive will fundamentally change what companies are allowed to communicate regarding sustainability. Many statements that seem self-evident today will no longer be permitted in the future—or will have to be substantiated with concrete evidence.

With our free EmpCo checklist, you can check in just a few minutes whether your environmental claims meet the new requirements.

Send Inquiry

What the EmpCo Checklist Covers

Our checklist systematically guides you through the critical areas and helps you evaluate your existing statements.

  • Risk Assessment: Analyzes Green Claims in light of the EmpCo Guidelines.
  • Verification Check: Analyzes which data or certifications are required to support the claims.
  • Claim Optimization: Formulate the claim more specifically and in accordance with EmpCo guidelines.
  • Claim Development: Develops new claims that may be communicated in accordance with EmpCo guidelines.

Request the EmpCo Checklist for Free

Request the free EmpCo checklist now and get:

  • The 5-Minute Self-Test
  • A risk assessment of your green claims
  • Practical examples of EmpCo-compliant communication

Why should we take action regarding EmpCo now?

The transition period is underway. Companies that do not adapt their communications in time risk:

  • Warnings and Fines Due to Stricter Enforcement
  • Reputational Damage from Public Criticism of Greenwashing
  • Loss of trust among increasingly critical consumers
The sooner you review your statements, the more time you’ll have to make informed adjustments.

Our AI Audit Tool

Want to know which specific claims on your website need to be revised right now? Use our EmpCo Check to get an automated analysis of your current claims.

Recognizing Critical Environmental Statements

Vague green claims will no longer be permitted starting in September. This refers to the EmpCo-RGuideline focuses particularly on:

General Environmental Statements

Terms such as “plastic-free,” “recyclable,” “green,” or “environmentally friendly” will be prohibited starting in 2026 if they are not accompanied by directly accessible, verifiable evidence. A vague label stating “made from recycled material” without specifying exactly which standard was used and who verified it will no longer be sufficient.

Misleading Waste Offset (“Plastic Neutrality”)

The risk: Advertising a product as “plastic-neutral” or “waste-offset” may result in a cease-and-desist letter if the messaging suggests to consumers that the product itself does not generate any waste. Offsetting must not be disguised as a “zero-impact” feature of the product—it must be transparently declared as a financial contribution (contribution claim).

Unsubstantiated “Plastic-Free” & Circular Economy Goals

The risk: Future commitments such as “plastic-free packaging by 2030” or “fully circular by 2028” are illegal without a detailed, publicly available implementation plan. You need a roadmap with time-bound milestones and independent third-party verification.

Proprietary sustainability labels

The risk: Custom-designed badges such as “Ocean Friendly,” “Plastic Saver,” or in-house sustainability seals that are not awarded and monitored by an official, transparent, and independent certification system are expressly prohibited under EmpCo.

The EmpCo-compliant alternative: everwave Plastic Credits

The new guideline rewards precision and penalizes vague claims. The legally sound approach for your marketing is to use what are known as “contribution claims.” With everwave, you communicate measurable impact instead of empty phrases.

  • Certified Impact: For every euro, we verifiably remove 1 kg of waste from the environment. Externally audited and transparently traceable.

  • Authentic marketing materials: You’ll receive high-resolution photos and videos from our cleanups around the world to use in your campaigns—the strongest proof for your customers.

  • Reliable Communication: Transform your risky “climate-neutral” claims into transparent impact statements that meet the strict EmpCo guidelines.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

It is an EU directive that has been transposed into German law and will take effect in September. Directive (EU) 2024/825 (Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition) will prohibit vague and unsubstantiated environmental claims (greenwashing) starting in September 2026 in order to better protect consumers.

No. The checklist provides you with a well-founded and practical initial assessment, as well as a risk assessment for your most common claims. However, it does not replace a final legal review.

Traditional green claims often assert a product characteristic (e.g., “climate-neutral”) that is difficult to prove. A contribution claim transparently states the specific contribution you’re making—for example, how many kilograms of plastic waste have been verifiably collected thanks to your support.

The EU prohibits advertising claims based on the offsetting of emissions outside a company’s own value chain. Instead, companies must transparently communicate what they are actually doing or directly financing.

Help Us Save The Ocean