The Dutch court has ruled that Asics can use 'PVC free' in its marketing

The Dutch court has ruled that Asics can use 'PVC free' in its marketing

Sportswear manufacturer Asics will drop its claim that PVC is “harmful” but a Dutch court has ruled that the firm can use “PVC free” in marketing its shoes. The Haarlem court last week said the “PVC free” logo is a neutral, factual announcement which does not suggest that PVC is bad for the environment.

Chlorophiles, a group representing European workers in the chlorine and PVC industries, took Asics’s claim that it was “the only sportsmark which doesn’t use harmful PVC in its products” to the Dutch Advertising Code Commission.

The commission said the advertising was misleading and requested Asics to remove all references to “harmful PVC” or “PVC free” in its marketing. Chlorophiles brought the case to court because Asics continued to use the “PVC free” logo on its shoes and website.

A spokesman for the European Council of Vinyl Manufacturers described the decision as “disappointing” especially since Asics had not justified its selection of non-PVC materials. The Chlorophiles group, led by Belgian chemist Ferdinand Engelbeem, said it was considering a higher appeal.