Latest news with #CatrionaLowe
7NEWS
17 hours ago
- 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.
Sky News AU
2 days ago
- 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.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- 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.
The Advertiser
2 days ago
- Business
- The Advertiser
Major sunscreen brands accused of reef greenwashing
The makers of two popular sunscreen brands allegedly misled environmentally conscious shoppers by labelling products as "reef friendly". Banana Boat and Hawaiian Tropic sunscreens contained allegedly widespread false and potentially misleading representations on more than 90 products 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". But 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. Edgewell has been contacted for comment. 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. The makers of two popular sunscreen brands allegedly misled environmentally conscious shoppers by labelling products as "reef friendly". Banana Boat and Hawaiian Tropic sunscreens contained allegedly widespread false and potentially misleading representations on more than 90 products 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". But 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. Edgewell has been contacted for comment. 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. The makers of two popular sunscreen brands allegedly misled environmentally conscious shoppers by labelling products as "reef friendly". Banana Boat and Hawaiian Tropic sunscreens contained allegedly widespread false and potentially misleading representations on more than 90 products 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". But 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. Edgewell has been contacted for comment. 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. The makers of two popular sunscreen brands allegedly misled environmentally conscious shoppers by labelling products as "reef friendly". Banana Boat and Hawaiian Tropic sunscreens contained allegedly widespread false and potentially misleading representations on more than 90 products 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". But 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. Edgewell has been contacted for comment. 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.
Perth Now
2 days ago
- Business
- Perth Now
Major sunscreen brands accused of reef greenwashing
The makers of two popular sunscreen brands allegedly misled environmentally conscious shoppers by labelling products as "reef friendly". Banana Boat and Hawaiian Tropic sunscreens contained allegedly widespread false and potentially misleading representations on more than 90 products 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". But 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. Edgewell has been contacted for comment. 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.
