The Advertising Standards Authority is reviewing complaints that adverts for disposable vape brand Elfbar, showcased across the Transport for London (TfL) advertising network, are giving out a ‘misleading’ environmental message.
The adverts, which are displayed as out-of-home (OOH) statics on some buses and bus stops in London, feature the words “Recycling for a greener future”.
However, complainants have said the Elfbar e-cigarettes are in fact not recyclable, a claim that has been supported by councils and environmental groups.
In response, TfL said it has worked with advertisers to ensure all campaigns fell within the necessary advertising rules.
In resppnse, Elfbar claimed that its adverts were actually aiming to create awareness that e-cigarettes must be properly disposed of.
Despite this, environmental campaign group Greenpeace has called the adverts a “blatant attempt to bath an environmental menace in a thin veneer of greenwash”.
Discussing the advert, Greenpeace plastic campaigner, Anna Diski, added: “The truth is these products are one of the new defining images of our single-use throwaway culture.
Subscribe to Marketing Beat for free
Sign up here to get the latest marketing news sent straight to your inbox each morning
“What other piece of tech is designed to be thrown away so quickly? Despite any claims to the contrary they’re close to impossible to recycle.”
The contentious adverts follow in the wake of tightening marketing surrounding the e-cigarette industry. Earlier this year, the government introduced a ban on a promotional loophole that allowed vape brands to legally offer e-cigarettes to children.
It is also not the first campaign from Elfbar that has been investigated by the ASA. Last year, adverts from the vape brand were banned for promoting the vapes to children, while this year, two Elfbar TikTok adverts were banned for breaching nicotine and age-related ad codes.
A TfL spokesperson said it worked with advertisers to “ensure any e-cigarette campaign running on our estate complies with the latest rules by the ASA and has appropriate messaging”.
The ASA said: “Our rules make it clear that any claims in ads, including green claims, need to be backed up by sufficient evidence.”
Elfbar told the BBC it had introduced more recycling facilities and was trying to actively encourage recycling through its creative campaigns.
