Report

Communicating about the circular economy has become a strategic issue for companies, and a high-risk exercise. Caught between greenwashing and greenhushing, communications, CSR and marketing teams are looking for clear guidance. This practical guide, co-written by Circul'R and ADEME, answers one central question: how do you showcase your circular commitments accurately, transparently and with impact?

Why is communicating about the circular economy so difficult?

The circular economy is emerging as one of the most powerful levers of the ecological transition. Companies see it as a strategic opportunity to build resilience and competitiveness and to meet growing consumer expectations. But between genuine ambition and regulatory pressure, the narrative runs into two major pitfalls.

• Greenwashing consists of exaggerating, dressing up or distorting your environmental efforts to project a more virtuous image than reality warrants. Beyond the reputational risk, it is now a criminal offence carrying heavy penalties - up to €3.75 million in fines and 5 years' imprisonment where the claim is distributed digitally. In October 2025, the DGCCRF reported that more than 15% of the professionals it inspected showed serious breaches.
• Greenhushing, conversely, consists of staying silent about your environmental commitments for fear of criticism. According to a South Pole survey (2024), 44% of communications and CSR directors admit to having given up speaking publicly about their commitments for that reason. That silence deprives the transition of its most inspiring examples.

Both pitfalls reflect the same difficulty: communications that are still looking for their bearings in the face of demands for transparency and the complexity of environmental issues.

Which environmental claims are prohibited by law?

Regulation has tightened considerably in recent years. Several pieces of legislation now set out precisely what companies can, and can no longer, say.

In France:

• The AGEC law prohibits vague or unsubstantiated environmental claims: "biodegradable", "environmentally friendly" and "ecological" are now banned on products and packaging without justification.
• The Climate and Resilience law has written greenwashing into the Consumer Code as a misleading commercial practice, on the same footing as financial fraud.

In Europe:

• The EmpCo regulation prohibits unfounded generic environmental claims and labels not certified by a public authority.
• The ESPR regulation requires greater precision on the environmental impact of products.
• The PPWR regulation on packaging requires companies to be able to substantiate all their environmental claims.

The 6 foundations of successful circular communications

The Circul'R x ADEME guide identifies six key principles for structuring communications that are credible, clear and aligned with the challenges of the circular economy.

1. Communications are a strategic lever, not window dressing: they lend credibility to your initiatives, engage stakeholders and build trust over time.

2. Transparency and tangible evidence are essential: commitments without figures, data or verifiable sources feed mistrust. Every claim must be capable of being substantiated.

3. Communications must be proportionate and consistent: the aim is not to say everything, but to highlight the most impactful levers in a way that is consistent with operational reality.

4. Acknowledging your limits makes the story credible: admitting that the transition is work in progress rather than mission accomplished avoids unrealistic expectations and greenwashing attacks.

5. A solid offer comes before the narrative: communications only have value if they rest on a fully developed circular approach. The reverse - communicating before you have transformed - is the definition of greenwashing.

6. Communications must make the circular economy desirable and accessible: the ecological transition will not happen through guilt. Messages must be engaging, concrete and carry a positive story.

The 3 pillars of circular communications

Communications on the circular economy are organised around three complementary strands, which correspond to the different stages in the life cycle of products and resources:

• Communicating about your circular production methods: encouraging resource sufficiency from the production stage, ecodesign of products, sourcing of secondary or renewable raw materials.
• Communicating about more circular use: sufficiency in use, optimisation (sharing, the collaborative economy, product-as-a-service), extending service life through repair, reuse and refurbishment.
• Communicating about end-of-life potential: accelerating sorting and collection points, making recycling accessible.

Concrete examples: how brands are getting it right

The guide analyses six real initiatives, selected under a rigorous protocol (no complaint before the French advertising ethics jury, no mention in the ADEME-ARPP Advertising & Environment review):

• Patagonia: communicating about sufficiency, reduction and changing use
• Biocoop: communicating about packaging reduction
• Fairphone: communicating about the use of recycled materials
• Fnac Darty: communicating about a maintenance and repair offer
• Le Fourgon: communicating about the benefits of reuse
• Le Pavé: communicating about a material recovery technique

For each example, the guide describes the initiative, analyses its communications and suggests ways to improve.

Who is this guide co-written by Circul'R and ADEME for?

For communications and marketing professionals, CSR managers and company executives: everyone responsible for turning commitments into clear messages that build trust and buy-in.

The guide does not cover non-financial reporting (taxonomy, CSRD); it focuses specifically on communicating the circular economy as ADEME defines it.