Exclusive Interview: Josep Maria Canyelles on Greenwashing
A bottle labeled "100% recycled", a fashion brand claiming "sustainable materials", or a company boasting about "carbon-neutral production"—these claims flood the market, but how many of them are actually true?
With consumers demanding more transparency and the EU cracking down on greenwashing, businesses can no longer afford to make vague or misleading sustainability claims. The era of unchecked eco-marketing is coming to an end.
To shed light on the challenges and responsibilities companies now face, we spoke with Josep Maria Canyelles, Director of Respon.cat, an organization dedicated to corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Catalonia. With decades of experience in sustainability, Josep Maria provides expert insights into how businesses can adapt to new regulations, avoid greenwashing, and build credible, impact-driven sustainability strategies.
With decades of experience in sustainability, Canyelles offers us an expert perspective on how businesses can align with new regulations, steer clear of greenwashing, and develop credible strategies based on real impact.
“The regulation against greenwashing was necessary because corporate communication could at times be misleading—whether intentionally or not. Now, companies need scientific evidence to support their claims.”
As greenwashing regulations tighten, Josep Maria offers a deep dive into what businesses must do to stay compliant, transparent, and genuinely committed to sustainability.
Regulation and Greenwashing: Why Did the EU Tighten the Rules?
For years, companies have used sustainability claims as a marketing advantage, but without clear oversight, these claims often lacked substance or verifiability. Terms like "eco-friendly," "carbon-neutral," or "100% recycled" became common selling points, yet many businesses failed to provide scientific proof of their actual environmental impact.
The European Union recognized this growing issue and responded with a regulatory crackdown. The new directive aims to eliminate vague, misleading, or unverifiable environmental claims, requiring companies to provide data-driven proof that backs up their sustainability efforts. Businesses will no longer be able to use green labels or sustainability statements unless they can be independently verified.
“Some companies—especially SMEs—may engage in greenwashing without bad intentions, simply due to a lack of resources or knowledge to verify their claims.” — Josep Maria Canyelles
Beyond avoiding penalties, this regulation aims to reshape corporate responsibility. 90% of consumers scrutinize environmental claims more carefully before trusting a brand, and companies that fail to adapt risk losing credibility and facing reputational damage.
A key aspect of the new law is its targeting of specific marketing terms. Words like "biodegradable," "compostable," or "climate neutral" can no longer be used without clear, scientific validation. This means businesses must prove how and where their materials are sourced, how products are disposed of, and whether their circular economy initiatives actually work.
The Challenge of Proving Sustainability: Why Compliance Isn’t So Simple?
Adapting to the new sustainability regulations is no easy task. While large corporations have specialized compliance and verification teams, many small and medium-sized enterprises struggle to keep up with regulatory changes and evolving standards.
“Plastic is a great invention; the problem lies in its overuse and the unconscious disregard for its consequences.” — Josep Maria Canyelles
One of the biggest challenges is defining what “sustainable” truly means in a constantly changing context.
“We must avoid the perception that we’re being misled when it comes to impact measurement—not just in plastic recycling, but across many other environmental and social areas.” — Josep Maria Canyelles
Canyelles explains that many companies have the will to do things right but face unexpected obstacles. It’s not a lack of commitment, but rather the complexity and ever-shifting framework required to demonstrate sustainability in a verifiable way.
“The real challenge isn’t just regulatory compliance—it’s keeping pace with science, evolving standards, and the changing expectations of consumers and regulators.” — Josep Maria Canyelles
Recycling offers a clear example. A company might invest in recyclable packaging, but if the local infrastructure doesn’t process it properly, the effort is wasted. Some brands have chosen biodegradable materials, only to find out they break down into microplastics or require industrial composting—something not always available.
On top of this comes the issue of data transparency. Many companies claim to have reduced their carbon footprint or increased the use of recycled materials—but where’s the proof?
“We live in an era where environmental claims can no longer be vague or unsupported. Companies must provide clear scientific evidence that their sustainability efforts are real and measurable.” — Josep Maria Canyelles
This new requirement for data-driven sustainability adds complexity. Without traceability tools or verification standards, even well-intentioned initiatives may fall short—or be perceived as greenwashing.
The question now is: how can companies ensure their sustainability claims are verifiable and comply with evolving regulations?
Respon.cat & Its Role in Verifiable Sustainability
While anti-greenwashing regulations provide a legal framework, companies still face a practical challenge: ensuring their sustainability efforts are effective, measurable, and aligned with real impact. This is where Respon.cat plays a key role.
As a leading organization in corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Catalonia, Respon.cat works closely with companies to help them navigate sustainability challenges, avoid unintentional greenwashing, and move toward a model of verifiable and credible impact.
Through working groups and collaboration, companies gain insights that help them adapt to the new sustainability standards—ensuring that their efforts go beyond marketing strategies and become tangible, demonstrable actions.
Helping Companies Turn Their Sustainability Goals into Reality
Many companies set ambitious sustainability goals, but turning those goals into reality is a challenge. From selecting the right materials to ensuring a circular economy model, sustainability requires constant adaptation.
One Respon.cat member, Cafès Novell, experienced this firsthand. As part of their sustainability commitment, they introduced oxo-biodegradable coffee capsules. However, as new research emerged about microplastics, the company took a further step in its commitment and transitioned entirely to 100% compostable capsules—which they had already begun using in some products—made from plant-based materials, ensuring that their packaging naturally decomposes without leaving behind any waste.
“Sustainability isn’t just about making the ‘right decision,’ but making sure that change actually works in the real world.” — Josep Maria Canyelles, Director of Respon.cat
Another example is Picvisa, a company specialized in waste-sorting technology powered by artificial intelligence. While many companies claim their packaging is recyclable, the reality is that much of it never gets processed properly.
In fact, plastic items smaller than 5–6 cm often go undetected in traditional recycling systems, ending up in landfills or incinerators.
Thanks to its advanced optical sorting systems, Picvisa helps recover more recyclable materials, ensuring that companies’ circular economy efforts don’t go to waste. Respon.cat encourages businesses to integrate technological solutions into their sustainability strategies, guaranteeing that their actions have a measurable and real impact.
As Josep Maria Canyelles points out, many companies face challenges with transparency and traceability—not due to a lack of commitment. But now, with stricter regulations and more demanding consumers, businesses must bridge the gap between intention and evidence—or risk falling behind.
The SME Ecosystem on Its Path to Sustainability
While large corporations have dedicated sustainability teams, many SMEs face barriers such as lack of resources, technical knowledge, and constantly changing regulations.
Respon.cat brings together companies like Organic Cotton Colours, a pioneer in 100% organic, dye-free cotton. Unlike many brands that use vague labels like “eco-friendly,” this company is committed to full traceability and production free from polluting substances—setting a higher standard for sustainable fashion.
The fashion industry remains one of the largest contributors to plastic pollution, as synthetic fabrics release millions of microplastics into water with every wash. Organic Cotton Colours addresses this issue through completely natural fibers, reducing environmental impact throughout the product’s life cycle.
“Many small businesses truly want to be sustainable, but they don’t always know how to align their actions with measurable impact. That’s where structured guidance is essential.” — Josep Maria Canyelles
Another Respon.cat member is TERSA, a company specialized in waste management, circular economy, and renewable energy. As a public company, its role is key to reducing waste, improving recycling efficiency, and supporting the transition toward more sustainable energy systems. This is a crucial step to ensure that sustainability goes beyond the product level and is embedded throughout the entire business value chain.
Through these real-world examples, it becomes clear that sustainability is not just about regulatory compliance—it is a continuous process of learning, adaptation, and generating real, measurable impact.
“A company might say it recycles two million plastic bottles—but where does that data come from? Without proper verification, there’s no way to know whether those figures are real or just part of a marketing strategy.” — Josep Maria Canyelles
The Role of Technology: How Blockchain Ensures Traceability
With new regulations against greenwashing, companies must back their claims with verifiable data. However, in a world of complex supply chains, inconsistent recycling infrastructure, and lack of real-time oversight, demonstrating environmental impact remains a challenge.
Less than 10% of recycling plants use advanced technology, which means that many recyclable materials never get properly processed.
For years, companies have relied on annual reports and certifications, but these lack real-time tracking and can be subject to manipulation. In many cases, greenwashing is not intentional—it’s the result of outdated or inaccurate data.
One of the biggest challenges is tracking plastic recovery. Many small waste items (like caps or packaging under 5 cm) go unnoticed in recycling systems and end up in landfills.
Without a standardized traceability system, distinguishing real impact from marketing continues to be a key problem for companies.
Blockchain Technology: The Key to Verifying Sustainability
Blockchain technology offers an innovative solution by providing a secure, tamper-proof, and publicly accessible record of sustainability actions.
Unlike traditional reporting methods—which often rely on self-declarations and can be inconsistent—blockchain ensures that every recorded action is traceable and irreversible.
With blockchain, companies can:
- Track their sustainability efforts in real time, rather than relying on outdated annual reports.
- Prevent data manipulation, ensuring that once a data point is recorded, it cannot be altered.
- Ensure full transparency, allowing stakeholders and regulators to independently verify sustainability claims.
Despite its bad reputation, plastic remains one of the most functional materials in the modern economy. The problem is not the material itself, but how we manage its lifecycle.
That’s why traceability solutions like blockchain are essential: they allow companies to prove that the plastic they use has been recovered, recycled, or reused—instead of simply discarded.
How Plastiks Uses Blockchain to Ensure Sustainability Transparency
At Plastiks, blockchain technology is the foundation for verifying plastic recovery in a transparent and reliable way. Through an immutable and accessible system, Plastiks connects companies, waste recovery organizations, and consumers—ensuring that every kilogram of recovered plastic is recorded and publicly traceable.
- Verified Plastic Recovery → Recovery organizations collect and process plastic waste, documenting the type and quantity recovered.
- Blockchain-Based Traceability → Each kilogram recovered is registered on the blockchain, creating an immutable, fraud-proof digital record.
- Plastic Credits and Digital Certification → Companies can purchase Plastic Credits linked to verified recoveries, receiving a digital certificate that guarantees traceability, regulatory compliance, and full transparency.
- Real-Time Impact Tracking → A Web2-friendly dashboard allows companies to monitor their sustainability impact, generate reports, and share verifiable data with their stakeholders.
Unlike traditional offset programs, which often lack transparency, Plastiks offers a data-driven model—ensuring that companies not only claim a commitment to sustainability, but can also prove it with concrete evidence.
A Future Where Every Sustainability Claim Must Be Verified
For years, businesses have shaped their sustainability narratives around ambitious goals and eco-friendly promises. But as regulations tighten and consumer expectations shift, intentions are no longer enough—proof is now the standard.
This shift is not just about compliance; it is about building credibility in a world that demands accountability. Businesses that can demonstrate their impact with real, tamper-proof data will not only stay ahead of regulations but also strengthen consumer trust and investor confidence.
At Plastiks, we offer a blockchain-based traceability solution that turn sustainability commitments into verifiable proof. Whether you are looking to ensure plastic recovery transparency, enhance your ESG reporting, or future-proof your sustainability strategy, our technology offers the tools to make it happen.
The future belongs to businesses that can prove their impact. Let’s make your sustainability claims undeniable. Contact our sustainability experts today & book a meeting to explore customized traceability solutions for your business.