From 27 September 2026, the words a brand or salon uses to describe its environmental commitment will be subject to a new legal framework. This does not affect legal departments alone: it affects labels, websites, social media and what is said in the salon chair. Here is what is actually changing, without alarmism or shortcuts.
Legislative Decree No. 30 of 20 February 2026 transposes Directive (EU) 2024/825, known as Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition, into Italian law. It was published in Gazzetta Ufficiale No. 56 on 9 March 2026, and its provisions apply from 27 September 2026. Enforcement in Italy falls under the AGCM, the Italian Competition Authority.
The principle is simpler than it may seem: a generic environmental claim — meaning one that is not backed by recognised excellent environmental performance that can be demonstrated — becomes an unfair commercial practice. Communicating an environmental commitment is not prohibited. Communicating it without evidence is.
The logic is always the same: where there is an adjective, there needs to be a number — and alongside that number, a source and a basis for comparison.
This is the first question any salon or distributor will ask, and it is a legitimate one: a label printed six months ago cannot simply be rewritten. On 30 June 2026, the CPC Network — the national consumer protection authorities coordinated by the European Commission — published a common interpretation document addressing old stock situations. There are two messages that should not be confused.
First: having stock that has already been produced does not automatically exempt anyone. Businesses selling products must adapt their commercial practices before 27 September 2026. There is no general extension of the deadline.
Second: during the initial phase, authorities may adopt a gradual approach where genuine and specific transition difficulties exist. This will be assessed case by case using objective factors such as the size and capacity of the business, packaging cycles, stock volumes, orders already placed, product lifespan and the technical feasibility of making corrections.
The point that matters most for anyone communicating environmental claims.
Among the priorities identified are online claims, precisely because they do not involve the same adaptation difficulties as packaging that has already been printed. In practical terms: websites, product pages, newsletters and advertisements are the quickest things to correct — and therefore the first places where compliance is expected.
*CONAI and CIAL data, 2025 reporting year. Global figure: OECD, Global Plastics Outlook.
In 2025, Italy recycled 77.3% of the packaging placed on the market. It has one of Europe’s most efficient systems, and the aluminium sector has already exceeded the European targets set for 2030. But the difference between materials remains clear: seven out of every ten aluminium packages are recycled, compared with only five out of every ten plastic packages.
This leads to a practical conclusion for anyone communicating environmental information: saying “sustainable materials” tells people very little. Saying which material is used, and the rate at which it is actually recycled in the country where the product is sold, provides verifiable information — exactly the kind of claim the new rules are designed to encourage.
Do you work in a salon? The six-point operational checklist, the complete table of claims that need to be rewritten, and the list of documents worth keeping in case of an inspection are all included in a free PDF designed for people who open their salon doors every morning.
Our goal is to reduce plastic as much as possible. That is why the aluminium bottle stays, while the only plastic that remains is the refill: a 1 L pouch weighs 20 g, compared with an average of 70 g for a conventional rigid 1 L bottle.
And every figure we publish has a corresponding entry in our claims register, including the evidence, source and date. It is the same method required by the new rules: data first, claim second. We believe this is the most useful — and most respectful — way to communicate about the environment.
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