Greenwashing: Volvic found guilty of “misleading commercial practices” by the Paris Judicilal Court

"The use on Volvic water packaging and bottles of the claims 'carbon neutral' or 'certified carbon neutral', '100% recycled', '100% recycled', '100% recyclable' and 'always recyclable' on Volvic water packaging and bottles constitutes a misleading commercial practice", ruled the Paris Judicial Court in a judgement handed down on 23 June 2026", stated the consumer protection association CLCV on 29 June.

A ‘historic’ ruling, according to the association, as this is the first time the court has ruled on the terms ‘carbon neutral’ and ‘100 per cent recyclable’ in relation to a mass-market product. It sets a “standard that effectively protects consumers”.

Volvic (a subsidiary of the Danone group) has therefore been ordered to publish the court ruling on the homepage of its website for six months and to compensate the association “for the harm caused to the collective interests of consumers”.

In particular, the court emphasised that:
• the term “carbon neutral” displayed on the water bottle is misleading, given that the emissions produced during its manufacture are not fully offset;
• the…