Ritter Sport uses stickers to comply with new EU greenwashing rules

Ritter Sport is applying stickers to its chocolate packaging to comply with new European Union regulations aimed at preventing greenwashing. The company is covering its long-standing claim of ‘100% certified sustainable cocoa sourcing’ to meet the requirements of the Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition (EmpCo) directive.

The directive, set to take effect at the end of September, prohibits the use of vague terms such as ‘environmentally friendly’ or ‘sustainable’ unless they are accompanied by detailed, substantiated evidence on the packaging. To avoid destroying existing packaging materials, the company is using stickers as a temporary measure while a full packaging relaunch is underway.

Under the new design, the front of the packaging will feature the claim ‘without added flavors,’ while the information regarding certified cocoa sourcing will be moved to the back of the pack with the necessary supporting details. Ritter Sport stated that while it supports measures increasing transparency and consumer clarity, the legal uncertainty regarding the interpretation of these rules across different European countries remains a challenge.