Australia’s consumer watchdog, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), has initiated legal action against Edgewell Personal Care Australia Pty Ltd and its parent company, Edgewell Personal Care Company, for alleged greenwashing related to their Hawaiian Tropic and Banana Boat sunscreen products. The proceedings were filed in the Federal Court, as the ACCC claims that Edgewell breached Australian consumer law by advertising many of its sunscreens as “reef friendly.”
These claims appeared on various platforms, including the company’s websites, social media, and retail catalogues, with some products displaying a “reef friendly” logo alongside coral imagery. The ACCC contends that these assertions were made between August 2020 and December 2024 based on directives from the Edgewell corporation.
Edgewell asserted that the absence of two harmful chemicals, oxybenzone and octinoxate, justified their “reef friendly” label, as these substances are prohibited in places like Hawaii due to their detrimental effects on coral reefs. However, the ACCC argues that the sunscreens still contained other ingredients—such as octocrylene, homosalate, 4-methylbenzylidene camphor, and butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane—that could harm marine life and coral ecosystems.
Furthermore, the ACCC claims that Edgewell was aware of research indicating that these ingredients could adversely affect reefs, yet failed to conduct any tests assessing their impact. While Edgewell removed “reef friendly” claims from its U.S. products around 2020, these statements continued in Australia until December 2024, according to the ACCC.
An Edgewell spokesperson stated that the company stands by its claims and has fully cooperated with the ACCC during its investigation, asserting that they will defend their case vigorously. As this litigation is ongoing, further comments from Edgewell have been withheld.
ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe emphasized that Edgewell’s actions constituted greenwashing, as the claims regarding the environmental benefits lacked scientific backing, potentially misleading consumers and hindering their ability to make informed choices regarding sunscreen products. The ACCC is pursuing penalties, declarations, injunctions, costs, and other legal remedies in this case.