Wettbewerbszentrale 2026: The 5 Most Frequent Greenwashing Cases

The Wettbewerbszentrale (German Centre for Protection against Unfair Competition) is, alongside the DUH, the most important greenwashing claimant in Germany. It represents around 1,000 companies from various industries and has been increasingly taking legal action against greenwashing since 2024. Here are the top 5 cases of 2025.

Case 1: “Climate neutral” through pure carbon offsetting (47% of all cases). Commonly affected: food, delivery services, energy companies. Typical outcome: cease and desist declaration with contractual penalty (€5,000-€25,000). Settlement rate: 85%.

Case 2: “Recyclable” without actual recycling rate (22%). Commonly affected: packaging manufacturers, online shops with own brands. Defence: “theoretically recyclable according to EN 643”. Successful defence argument: only 30% of proceedings.

Case 3: “From regional production” for mixed products (12%). Commonly affected: food discounters, drugstore own brands. Value of disputes: €5,000-€15,000. Settlement rate: 60%.

Case 4: “Vegan” as an implicit sustainability claim (10%). Defence: “vegan does not refer to the carbon footprint”. Moderately successful in court (40%).

Case 5: Own “eco-labels” without external certification (9%). Commonly affected: fashion (large chains with “conscious” lines), drugstores. Clear defeat for the defendants (95%). A per-se prohibition from 27 September 2026 will simplify these claims.

Procedure with the Wettbewerbszentrale: 1. Preliminary warning with a 14-day deadline. 2. If no reaction or refusal: interim injunction at the Landgericht (Regional Court). 3. Action for injunction. 4. Action for contractual penalty.

Special feature: Members benefit. Those who are members of the Wettbewerbszentrale (annual contribution €200-€2,000) receive: preliminary advice on their own advertising texts, protection against unjustified warnings from other members, free opinions on competitor advertising.