The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) announced on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, that it had banned advertisements from four companies for making misleading claims regarding the carbon footprint of their shipping services. The organizations involved—Grind Coffee, SportShoes.com, ProCook, and Who Gives a Crap—all featured advertisements describing their deliveries as either "carbon neutral" or "carbon positive."
The rulings followed investigations by the ASA, the United Kingdom’s independent advertising regulator, into whether these environmental claims were sufficiently clear. The regulator determined that the advertisements failed to inform consumers that the "carbon neutral" status of the deliveries relied on carbon offsetting credits rather than the direct reduction or removal of carbon emissions during the delivery process.
In one instance, an advertisement for Grind Coffee seen in June 2026 stated "Carbon Positive Delivery," while kitchenware brand ProCook offered "Carbon Neutral Delivery." Who Gives a Crap included "carbon neutral shipping" in a video caption, later telling the ASA that consumers could click a link for further explanation. SportsShoes.com advertised "Carbon Neutral Deliveries" alongside its product range. The ASA stated that if advertisements omit information about how such claims are achieved, they risk misleading the public.
The scale of the impact is reflected in the business operations of the cited companies; Grind Coffee noted it is among the top 0.2% of contributors to the Shopify Planet carbon removal scheme. The ASA’s decision sets a precedent for how the term "carbon neutral" can be used in the United Kingdom, signaling that businesses across all sectors must provide evidence and clear definitions for green terminology. This prevents companies from using broad environmental descriptors without explaining the mechanics behind them, such as shipment weight and distance estimates used to fund carbon removal projects.
Following these bans, the affected companies are required to change their advertising practices. Grind Coffee reported that it has already updated its website with a clear definition of "carbon neutral delivery" to comply with the regulator's standards. Who Gives a Crap similarly noted it has added accessible links to explain the basis of its claims. Moving forward, the ASA stated it will continue to monitor environmental claims to ensure consumers have the information needed to make "greener choices." No specific court dates or fines were reported in connection with these administrative bans.