Claims & Labelling will be effective from the 1st January 2020. This is a mechanism to ensure robustness of the LEAF Marque System by regulating the certification claims that are made. Claims & Labelling replaces Chain of Custody, the requirements for which have been removed from the LEAF Marque Standard v15.0.
Businesses have until the 30th September 2020 to implement Claims & Labelling in the appropriate way for their business. Claims & Labelling Licence Application can be accessed from myLEAF; My Services > LEAF Marque Claims & Labelling. LEAF Marque will continue to monitor LEAF Marque claims until this date to ensure they are made appropriately.
There are five documents that provide information on the process and requirements of Claims & Labelling.
To understand the changes to Claims & Labelling and how it affects you, the first step is to determine whether you are the appropriate Licence Holder for where a LEAF Marque claim is being made. Please review the Guidance Document for more information.
If you are not the appropriate Licence Holder, it may still be relevant to review the LEAF Brand Guidelines. This outlines the rules and requirements for any communications about LEAF Marque.
If you are the appropriate Licence Holder, the Guidance Document will provide further information on the process of obtaining a Claims & Labelling Licence. You should also review the Licence Agreement and LEAF Marque Claim Rules to ensure you understand the Claims & Labelling requirements and regulations on the claims you can make.
If you have any queries about Claims & Labelling, Chain of Custody, and how this applies to your business, please do not hesitate to get in touch. Please contact us (email: [email protected], phone: +44(0) 2476 413911)
If you notice any potential misuse or misrepresentation of LEAF Marque claims, please report this to LEAF Marque (email: [email protected], phone: +44 (0)2476 413911). Please include as much information as possible, or any evidence if it is available (e.g. photos of packaging, website claims, shop stalls).
Certification data is an important aspect of ensuring LEAF Marque claims are robust and appropriate. LEAF Charity Members can utilise the LEAF Marque Checker, which provides access to live certification data. LEAF Charity Members can search for a business’s name, postcode, LEAF Marque number, or enterprise, and access real-time information on the certification status of LEAF Marque businesses.
LEAF Charity members also have access to additional data services, including the LEAF Marque Tracker. This is a service that sends updates on a pre-selected group of LEAF Marque certified businesses, providing up-to-date information without the need to search for individual members. This service costs £250 per year and can complement a business’ existing traceability and sourcing requirement checks. For further information on the LEAF Marque Tracker, log onto your myLEAF account, select ‘Service Upgrades’, and go to ‘Track LEAF Marque Assurance’.
Got a question about Claims & labelling? We may have an answer for you in our FAQs!
Follow our simple to understand decision tree to help you understand if you are the appropriate Licence Holder and if you must obtain a Claims & Labelling Licence.