Grill’d burger chain sued over alleged greenwashing by consumer watchdog

The consumer regulator has sued Grill’d over allegations the burger chain engaged in greenwashing by dramatically overstating how much money it was donating towards one of its key environmental campaigns. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) on Tuesday announced it had launched federal court action against Grill’d, alleging it misrepresented its Tree Day Tuesday campaign for more than three years. The ACCC alleges that between January 2021 and April 2024, Grill’d represented to customers it would donate $1 from every burger purchased on a Tuesday towards the planting of trees. While the restaurant chain sold more than 5m burgers during the period, only about 4% of these resulted in a donation because the terms and conditions were so restrictive, the ACCC said. On Tuesday, Grill’d acknowledged it had donated just $250,000 to tree planting as a result of the promotional campaign. The ACCC alleges Grill’d did not adequately disclose to customers the fine print that dictated which orders would result in a $1 donation. Sign up for the Breaking News Australia email Only dine-in orders made at the front counter of a Grill’d store qualified, whereas online orders, takeaway, and even those made in a restaurant but at a table via a QR code did not. Additionally, customers had to be members of the chain’s Relish loyalty program for their purchases to be eligible. …