The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has struck down claims in the advertising of two funeral providers, which misleadingly implied that their MDF coffins were more eco-friendly than alternative options.

Golden Leaves and JC Atkinson & Son advertised “environmentally-friendly”, “eco-friendly” or “green” funerals including wooden or MDF coffins, with Golden Leaves adding that “choosing an environmentally-friendly funeral not only assists your loved ones, but also makes a positive statement of intent to help preserve the world in which we live”.

After selecting “Eco” on the JC Atkinson & Son site, consumers saw a selection of coffins including the “Reflections catalogue” which stated: “The eco-friendly Reflections range is for those wanting a truly personalised tribute.”

The ASA and LifeArt Coffins challenged whether the “eco-friendly” claims were misleading and could be substantiated.

Ilkley Gazette: The Golden Leave website (ASA/PA)The Golden Leave website (ASA/PA)

JC Atkinson & Son said that they would remove the claims that their coffins were “eco-friendly”, but said they believed they could be substantiated.

Golden Leaves said the claims that their coffins and also funerals were “green” or “eco-friendly” should be understood as part of their whole package offer of a funeral plan, which they had designed to promote an environmentally conscious message.

This included the promotional material itself, produced with water based inks on recycled paper, the sustainable nature of the coffin types used and carbon offsetting strategies, for example replacement tree planting and rainforest conservation donations.

What did the ASA say on the matter?

In a statement aimed at JC Atkinson & Son, the ASA said: “Because the evidence that had been provided to us did not demonstrate that there was no negative impact on the environment over the full life cycle of the coffins, we concluded that the ad was misleading.”

Additionally, in relation to Golden Leaves it said: “Because we considered that consumers would understand the terms ‘green’ and ‘environmentally-friendly’ in the context of the ad to be absolute claims about the whole life cycle of the funeral, and because the evidence did not support that purchasing a funeral plan from Golden Leaves would have a net neutral or positive impact on the environment, we concluded that the claims had not been substantiated and were misleading.”

It added: “The ad must not appear again in its current form. We told Golden Leaves not to state or imply that their products had a net neutral or positive environmental benefit unless they held substantiation that demonstrated this across their whole life cycle.

“We also told them to ensure that the basis for the environmental claims were made clear to consumers.”