TYPOLOGY AND STANDARDIZATION OF GREEN CLAIMS IN UZBEKISTAN’S RETAIL MARKET: ADDRESSING CONSUMER TERMINOLOGY CONFUSION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22094677Abstract
Growing stakeholder pressure on organizations to disclose their environmental performance has
significantly increased the risks of greenwashing and consumer confusion regarding environmental terminology
in retail markets. The study aims to develop a product-level typology of environmental (“green”) claims and
propose a framework for their standardization in Uzbekistan’s retail market. A qualitative research design based
on a systematic literature review and regulatory content analysis was employed. Commonly used environmental
claims, including “recyclable,” “biodegradable,” and “organic,” were evaluated against the requirements of ISO
14021 and ISO 14024, as well as the criteria of Uzbekistan’s “Yashil Belgi” voluntary ecolabelling system introduced
in 2025 (Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 20 of 2025). The findings indicate that, although the “Yashil Belgi”
system provides a robust mechanism for Type I ecolabelling, the standardization of individual environmental claims
remains insufficiently developed. This situation may contribute to consumer confusion, particularly in interpreting
infrastructure-dependent claims such as “recyclable,” because the technical recyclability of a product does not
necessarily imply the availability of practical recycling facilities. To mitigate greenwashing risks and enhance
consumer environmental literacy, a structured assessment framework is proposed that integrates claim specificity,
mandatory evidentiary substantiation, and appropriate levels of verification.
Keywords
green claims; greenwashing; consumer confusion; environmental claims; ecolabelling; environmental labelling; claim standardization; environmental communication.References
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