A retailer based in West Yorkshire has been instructed to modify its advertising after claims regarding its wool carpets were found to be misleading.
Photo: Flooring by Nature.
The company, trading as Flooring by Nature, was reprimanded by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) over statements made on its ecommerce store regarding the eco-friendly nature of its products.
The complaints centred around claims that the carpets offered a "fantastic, sustainable alternative to synthetic carpets" and that "wool carpets also biodegrade at the end of their lives." The issue arose because some of the wool carpets featured plastic backing, which raised questions about the validity of the claims.
The ASA ruled that the use of absolute language in the claims required a higher standard of evidence to substantiate them. It found that Flooring by Nature had not provided sufficient evidence to back up the eco-friendly and biodegradable statements, particularly in relation to the plastic-backed carpets. As a result, the company has been told not to repeat these claims in their current form unless they can offer further explanations or stronger evidence.
The retailer has been advised to adjust its marketing approach in accordance with the ASA's ruling.
Source: www.thefurnishingreport.com