Canada’s Competition Bureau Issues Final Guidelines on Environmental Claims: What It Means for the Print and Paper Industry

Submitted: Two Sides North America September 16, 2025

In June 2025, the Competition Bureau of Canada released its final guidelines for environmental claims, marking a significant development in the regulation of green marketing across all sectors, including print and paper. The move is a response to rising public concern over greenwashing and aligns with global efforts to increase transparency in environmental communications.

These guidelines come after a public consultation period held in 2024 and early 2025 and are rooted in recent amendments to the Competition Act, which were passed in June 2024. As a result, businesses operating in Canada now face stricter expectations when making environmental claims about their products and practices.

Core to its purpose, “the Act prohibits materially false or misleading advertising and deceptive marketing practices so that consumers can make informed choices in the marketplace that are free from the influence of deceptive promotional claims, including environmental claims. This helps foster a fair, competitive and innovative marketplace.”

Why the Guidelines Matter

For Two Sides North America and our members across the print, paper, and packaging sectors, these guidelines are especially relevant. Environmental messaging is a key part of our industry’s communication strategy, and the new guidelines signal a more rigorous enforcement environment for claims related to sustainability, recyclability, carbon footprint, and more.

As outlined in the Competition Bureau’s official release, these guidelines are intended to help businesses “ensure compliance with the Competition Act when making environmental claims. This includes the new greenwashing provisions added to the Act” last year. “Companies are free to make any environmental claims they wish, as long as they are not false or misleading, and have been adequately and properly tested or substantiated where required.”

This is a clear push to protect consumers and level the playing field among businesses by ensuring that only substantiated, verifiable environmental claims are promoted.

How Two Sides North America Challenges Greenwashing

For more than a decade, Two Sides North America has worked to eliminate misleading environmental claims about print and paper. Many companies, particularly in the financial and utility sectors, have used unsubstantiated slogans such as “Save a tree, Go Paperless” to encourage consumers to switch to digital communications. These claims not only misrepresent the environmental impacts of paper but also ignore the renewable, recyclable, and sustainable nature of North American forestry and paper production.

Through its Anti-Greenwashing Campaign, TSNA engages directly with organizations making unverified claims, sharing facts about paper’s environmental record and urging the removal of misleading language. To date, this campaign has led to hundreds of companies across North America correcting or removing greenwashing statements.

The Competition Bureau’s new guidelines reinforce these efforts by making it clear that vague or unsubstantiated environmental claims are not acceptable. This regulatory backing strengthens TSNA’s mission and provides additional support for ensuring that communications about paper are accurate, fair, and transparent.

Key Elements of the Guidelines

The finalized guidance specifically addresses false or misleading environmental claims. The guidelines state and define six clear principles for compliance:

• Environmental claims should be truthful, and not false or misleading
• Environmental benefits of a product and performance claims should be adequately and properly tested
• Comparative environmental claims should be specific about what is being compared
• Environmental claims should avoid exaggeration
• Environmental claims should be clear and specific – not vague
• Environmental claims about the future should be supported by substantiation and a clear plan

Failure to follow these guidelines may result in significant legal consequences, including financial penalties and public enforcement actions.

New Provisions from the 2024 Amendments

The updated guidelines build on the June 2024 amendments to the Competition Act, which enhanced the Bureau’s authority to address misleading environmental claims. Notably, the amendments:

• Broaden the scope of deceptive marketing practices, including greenwashing
• Provide for higher monetary penalties for violations
• Empower the Bureau to take stronger action against businesses that mislead consumers with environmental claims

Implications for Print and Paper Businesses

The print and paper industry has long been subject to misconceptions about its environmental impact. Two Sides North America has worked extensively to correct false claims that print is inherently “bad for the environment” or that going digital is always the greener choice.

With Canada’s Competition Bureau’s new guidelines in place, Canadian businesses now have a clear mandate: environmental claims must be accurate, specific, and verifiable. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for print and paper companies.

• Challenge: Vague or aspirational statements like “environmentally responsible printing” must be supported by facts—such as the use of certified paper sources, carbon offsetting, or local recycling programs.
• Opportunity: Companies that already engage in sustainable forestry, energy-efficient printing practices, and responsible supply chains can now highlight these efforts more confidently, knowing that the regulatory framework favors truthfulness and transparency.

What Canadian Businesses Should Do Now

To ensure compliance:

• Review all current marketing materials that contain environmental claims.
• Remove or revise claims that are vague or unsupported by clear evidence.
  Work with legal or regulatory advisors to confirm that all environmental messaging aligns with the new Competition Bureau guidelines.
• Use certified third-party verification where appropriate, and make sure it is clearly explained to consumers.

For more information and resources, visit:
 🔗 Canada Competition Bureau: Environmental Claims Guidelines
 🔗 Guide to the June 2024 Competition Act Amendments

To learn more about the TSNA Anti Greenwashing campaign and report paper-related greenwashing claims, visit: twosidesna.org/anti-greenwash-campaign/

Two Sides North America will continue to monitor developments and support our members in navigating these changes. For guidance or inquiries, please contact us at www.twosidesna.org.

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