Air Travel, Milk and T-Shirts Next in EU Greenwashing Fight (1)

The European Union is cracking down on greenwashing everywhere from the supermarket to the skies.

The European Commission, the bloc’s executive arm, proposed rules to tackle misleading environmental claims on everyday goods ranging from a carton of milk to T-shirts and airline travel. Companies will need to back up with science any labeling such as “climate neutral” or “biodegradable.”

“Over the past five years we’ve seen an increase in greenwashing,” EU Environment Minister Virginijus Sinkevicius said in an interview before the proposal. “We want to make sure those companies who claim to be green really are. Consumers don’t want ...