The National Advertising Division (NAD) delivered a mixed decision to Boxed Water is Better on Friday, ruling that while several of its environmental marketing claims were backed up and qualified, others will need to change.
The case stems from a challenge brought against the carton-packaged water brand by the International Bottled Water Association, which took issue with a number of Boxed Water’s environmental claims including statements that the cartons are “100% Recyclable,” are “92% plant-based” and that the company has planted over 1.5 million trees.
The NAD, a division of the Better Business Bureau National Programs, ruled in Boxed Water’s favor on recyclability claims, noting that because the cartons are made from just fiber, aluminum and plant-based plastic its packaging is, true to the claim, 100% recyclable – “provided the facility separates the layers and has the capacity,” the group said in a statement.
The NAD also found that Boxed Water was able to verify its claims around the number of trees it has planted and that slogans such as “The Earth loves our box,” “Better for the Planet” and “Sustainable” are “not unqualified general environmental benefit claims” and can be used freely without further qualification.
Where Boxed Water will need to make adjustments, however, is in its claims that its water comes in a “92% plant-based carton,” which the NAD suggested is unclear to consumers due to its reliance on a “mass balance accounting approach.” The group suggested the brand clarify how it calculated the 92% number if it is to keep making the claim.
As well, the brand agreed during the challenge to make clearer that certain claims are made “in comparison to premium plastic bottles,” including its oft-used “Boxed Water is better than plastic” slogan.
The International Bottled Water Association intends to request a review of the decision with the National Advertising Review Board (NARB). Boxed Water told the NAD that it intends to follow the recommendations and “thanks NAD for its careful analysis.”
The ruling comes just four months after Boxed Water was acquired in February by Nyrad, LLC, a private investment group, for an undisclosed sum.