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7NEWS
02-07-2025
- Health
- 7NEWS
Popular sunscreen brands Banana Boat and Hawaiian Tropic sued over ‘reef friendly' claims
Two of Australia's biggest sunscreen brands are under fire, accused of misleading the public with claims their products were 'reef friendly'. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has taken aim at Edgewell Personal Care Australia and its US-based parent company, Edgewell Personal Care Company (Edgewell PCC), accusing them of making false or misleading environmental claims over a four-year period. 'We allege that Edgewell engaged in greenwashing by making claims about the environmental benefits of Hawaiian Tropic and Banana Boat sunscreens that it had no reasonable or scientific basis to make,' ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe said. The ACCC alleges Edgewell marketed more than 90 sunscreen products as 'reef friendly' between August 2020 and December 2024 across packaging, websites, social media, and catalogues despite including chemicals known or suspected to harm reefs, coral, and marine life. Some of the products featured a logo containing the words 'reef friendly'' alongside an image of a coral, ACCC said. Edgewell's claim its sunscreens were environmentally safe was based on the absence of two chemicals named oxybenzone and octinoxate. Both are common chemical UV filters found in many sunscreens and other personal care products. They are used to absorb ultraviolet (UV) radiation and protect the skin from sun damage. Several countries, including the US state of Hawaii, have banned them due to concerns over their impact on health and the environment, particularly on coral reefs. Oxybenzone is proven to inhibit coral reproduction and can reduce testosterone levels in men. The chemical lingers in the body and has been found in amniotic fluid, urine, and blood, experts said. It has also been found in the breast milk of both human and dolphin mothers. While the absence of oxybenzone and octinoxate is positive due to their known harmful effects, the ACCC alleges the products still contained other chemicals such as octocrylene, homosalate, 4-methylbenzylidene camphor, also known as 4-MBC or enzacamene, and avobenzone which can also cause harm to reefs and marine life. The watchdog said, the company was aware of studies and literature warning of the potential environmental impacts of these chemicals, but failed to commission any of their own testing. 'Many consumers consider environmental factors when purchasing products,' Lowe said. 'By engaging in this alleged greenwashing, we say Edgewell deprived consumers of the ability to make an informed decision and may have prevented them from purchasing a different brand of sunscreen that did not contain chemicals which risked causing harm to reefs. 'We believe this conduct was widespread and risked potentially misleading a large number of consumers. 'The sunscreen products were supplied throughout Australia over a period of four years, including in large stores and online websites.' Marketing continued in Australia despite proven risks The ACCC further alleges Edgewell PCC removed the 'reef friendly' claims from its US sunscreen products as early as 2020 due to mounting scientific and regulatory pressure, yet allowed the same marketing to continue in Australia until December 2024. This could raise questions about whether Australian consumers were treated with the same level of transparency. The watchdog is now seeking penalties, declarations, injunctions, costs and other orders from the Federal Court. 'Businesses should not shy away from promoting the environmental credentials of their products, but they must be able to substantiate any claims, for example through reputable third-party certification or reliable scientific reports,' Lowe said. Edgewell PCC is one of the world's largest personal care companies and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Its Australian arm supplies Hawaiian Tropic and Banana Boat sunscreens across the country. The court action comes after ACCC guidance issued in 2023 warning businesses against vague or unproven environmental claims as part of a wider crackdown on greenwashing. It follows consumer group Choice testing 20 sunscreens with SPF 50 or 50+ labels and finding only four met the standards.
ABC News
02-07-2025
- Business
- ABC News
ACCC accuses Hawaiian Tropic and Banana Boat sunscreens of greenwashing over 'reef friendly' claims
The owner of popular Banana Boat and Hawaiian Tropic sunscreens says it will defend allegations of "greenwashing" products by labelling them as "reef friendly". The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) launched federal court proceedings against Edgewell Australia and its US parent company, Edgewell Personal Care Company on Tuesday. It claims more than 90 Edgewell products allegedly contained false and potentially misleading representations between 2020 and 2024. The consumer watchdog alleges Edgewell Australia claimed the sunscreens were "reef friendly" because they did not contain oxybenzone or octinoxate. These chemicals have been banned in some jurisdictions, including Hawaii, because of the damage they inflict on reefs. However, the ACCC alleges the sunscreens contained other ingredients that either cause or risk causing harm to reefs including coral and marine life. These ingredients are common UVA and UVB filters octocrylene, homosalate, Enzacamene (4-methylbenzylidene camphor), and Avobenzone (butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane). The ACCC claimed Edgewell Australia and Edgewell PCCC were aware of scientific studies and other reports indicating at least some of these ingredients were known to "adversely affect" reefs. But the consumer regulator alleged neither company commissioned testing of the ingredients or their impacts. It said Edgewell Australia breached consumer law when it made the "reef friendly" claims about many Hawaiian Tropic and Banana Boat sunscreen products across websites, social media and catalogues. Several Hawaiian Tropic products also included a logo on its packaging with the words "reef friendly" and an image of coral, the ACCC said. Edgewell removed "reef-friendly" tags from its US products in 2020 but allegedly continued the branding in Australia until December 2024. ACCC deputy chair Catriona Lowe said Edgewell's claims about the environmental benefits of its products "had no reasonable or scientific basis". "By engaging in this alleged greenwashing, we say Edgewell deprived consumers of the ability to make an informed decision," she said. "[It] may have prevented them from purchasing a different brand of sunscreen that did not contain chemicals which risked causing harm to reefs." Ms Lowe said the ACCC believed this greenwashing was "widespread" and risked misleading "a large number of consumers". "The sunscreen products were supplied throughout Australia over a period of four years, including in large stores and online websites," she said. "Businesses should not shy away from promoting the environmental credentials of their products. "But they must be able to substantiate any claims, for example through reputable third-party certification or reliable scientific reports." The ACCC said it is seeking penalties, declarations, injunctions, costs and other orders. A spokesperson for the company's Australian arm said it would defend the lawsuit. "Edgewell has fully co-operated with the ACCC throughout its investigation and firmly stands by the claims it has made," the spokesperson said. This latest accusation comes just weeks after consumer group Choice found only four of 20 sunscreens it tested provided the SPF protection claimed on their labels. The brands disputed the findings and said their own testing showed their sunscreens met or exceeded their SPF claims. ABC/AAP
Sky News AU
01-07-2025
- Business
- Sky News AU
ACCC alleges a US-owned sunscreen firm misled consumers by claiming popular Aussie brands were reef-friendly
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has taken the US based owner of the 'Banana Boat' and 'Hawaiian Tropics' to court, alleging false or misleading claims of being reef-friendly. The ACCC alleges Edgewell Australia, which is owned by the US multinational Edgewell Personal Care, used the 'reef friendly' term on packaging relating to its Australian businesses, despite third party scientists claiming it was 'greenwashing'. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) defines greenwashing as the potential for funds or products to overrepresent the extent to which their practices are environmentally friendly, sustainable or ethical. The ACCC claimed the 'reef friendly' sticker, which included a picture of a piece of coral, was used between August 2020 and last December. The regulator has alleged similar products in the United States removed the claims in 2020 but did not update its packaging in Australia 'We allege that Edgewell engaged in greenwashing by making claims about the environmental benefits of Hawaiian Tropic and Banana Boat sunscreens that it had no reasonable or scientific basis to make,' ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe said. 'We believe this conduct was widespread and risked potentially misleading many consumers. The sunscreen products were supplied throughout Australia over a period of four years, including in large stores and online websites,' Ms Lowe said. Sky News Australia has reached out to Coles and Woolworths for comment as the ACCC alleged the products were sold in big stores as well as online. There is no suggestion that Coles or Woolworths were involved in, or aware of, Edgewell's alleged greenwashing. We asked them whether they sold the products in store, and whether they had a procedure in place to comply with any court ruling relating to the ACCC action. We did not hear back. 'Businesses should not shy away from promoting the environmental credentials of their products, but they must be able to substantiate any claims, for example through reputable third-party certification or reliable scientific reports,' Ms Lowe said. The court action comes as Australian businesses attempt to burnish their environmental credentials as Australia seeks to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
The Australian
01-07-2025
- Business
- The Australian
ACCC targets Banana Boat, Hawaiian Tropic over greenwashing claims
Popular sunscreen brands allegedly took advantage of and deprived consumers of the chance to make informed decisions, with Australia's consumer watchdog launching court action over greenwashing claims. The parent companies of popular sunscreen brands Hawaiian Tropic and Banana Boat have been targeted by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) for allegedly making false or misleading claims that more than 90 sunscreen products were 'reef friendly'. The watchdog submitted that Edgewell Personal Care Australia breached consumer law by making the claims on websites, in social media, catalogues and other publications and including a 'reef friendly' logo. The claims were allegedly based on guidance, advice and direction from the US-based parent company Edgewell Personal Care Company (PCC). The parent companies of popular sunscreen brands Hawaiian Tropic and Banana Boat claimed more than 90 sunscreen products were 'reef friendly'. Picture: ACCC Some of the products contained this marketing. Picture: ACCC Edgewell bolstered its 'reef friendly' assertions by claiming the sunscreens didn't contain the chemicals oxybenzone or octinoxate – banned in some jurisdictions, including Hawaii – that could cause damage to reefs. However, the ACCC argued the products included other ingredients that could harm, or risked causing harm, to reefs, including to coral and marine life. These included octocrylene, homosalate, 4-methylbenzylidene camphor, and butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane. Further, the ACCC claimed Edgewell PCC and/or Edgewell Australia knew of studies, reports and literature that indicated some of the ingredients could affect reefs or that there was a risk of harm, but the companies didn't commission any testing to determine the impact. ACCC deputy chair Catriona Lowe said the alleged conduct constituted greenwashing, which deprived consumers of the chance to make informed decisions. 'We allege that Edgewell engaged in greenwashing by making claims about the environmental benefits of Hawaiian Tropic and Banana Boat sunscreens that it had no reasonable or scientific basis to make,' Ms Lowe said. Banana Boat sunscreen products are involved in the ACCC's case. Picture: Supplied. 'Many consumers consider environmental factors when purchasing products. By engaging in this alleged greenwashing, we say Edgewell deprived consumers of the ability to make an informed decision and may have prevented them from purchasing a different brand of sunscreen that did not contain chemicals which risked causing harm to reefs.' Ms Lowe said businesses needed to be able to substantiate claims of environmental credentials, including by reliable scientific reports or reputable third-party certification. The 'reef friendly' branding was removed from Edgewell's US sunscreen products in about 2000; however, the watchdog alleged the claim continued to be made in Australia until about the end of 2024. Federal Court action was launched against the companies on June 30, with the ACCC arguing Edgewell didn't have any reasonable basis to make the 'reef friendly' claims and that there wasn't any appropriate scientific evidence or testing at the time the representations were made. The 'reef friendly' claim was made on the Hawaiian Tropic product packaging, the Hawaiian Tropic and Banana Boat websites, social media and advertisements in third-party publications, the statement of claim alleged. The conduct 'took advantage of consumers' concerns' about environmental impact and deprived them of the chance to make informed purchasing decisions, lawyers on behalf of the ACCC claimed. Clareese Packer Reporter Clareese is a Court Reporter at NewsWire. She previously covered breaking news for the outlet after completing the 2023 NewsCorp cadet program, where she worked at The Australian, The Daily Telegraph, the National News Network and NewsWire. Clareese Packer
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Major sunscreen brands to defend greenwashing claim
The makers of two popular sunscreen brands will defend allegations they misled environmentally conscious shoppers by labelling products as "reef friendly". More than 90 Banana Boat and Hawaiian Tropic sunscreens allegedly contained false and potentially misleading representations between 2020 and 2024, the consumer watchdog claimed on Tuesday. The brands' owner Edgewell labelled the sunscreens as "reef friendly", claiming they did not contain two ingredients known to cause damage to reefs. But the sunscreens included other ingredients that cause harm to marine life, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission says. The claims are detailed in a lawsuit filed in the Federal Court on Monday evening against the US personal care company and its Australian arm. Court documents allege Edgewell "took advantage of consumers' concerns about the environmental impact of ... products on reefs". The company also knew of scientific studies and reports that found these ingredients can negatively affect reefs. The personal care company's claims had "no reasonable or scientific basis" and affected both its competitors and consumers, the watchdog said on Tuesday. "Businesses should not shy away from promoting the environmental credentials of their products, but they must be able to substantiate any claims," deputy chair Catriona Lowe said. "By engaging in this alleged greenwashing, we say Edgewell deprived consumers of the ability to make an informed decision and may have prevented them from purchasing a different brand of sunscreen that did not contain chemicals which risked causing harm to reefs." Edgewell removed "reef-friendly" tags off its US products in 2020 but allegedly continued the branding in Australia until December 2024. The ACCC is seeking penalties, costs and other court orders. A spokesperson for the company's Australian arm said it would defend the lawsuit. "Edgewell has fully co-operated with the ACCC throughout its investigation and firmly stands by the claims it has made," the spokesperson told AAP. The lawsuit comes after testing of popular sunscreens by consumer advocacy group Choice found some major sunscreen brands failed to meet their SPF labels. Several brands disputed the consumer group's claims.
