Writing material claims on a product label: safe and risky

Published 21 October 2026 · By PT Kora Prima Abadi · 4 min read

Labels and hangtags are often written at the last minute, after the product is finished. That is where a small brand most easily writes a sentence that sounds good but cannot be proven. This note covers how to write material claims for products made from synthetic leather or another alternative leather: what is safe to write, what carries risk and which files to keep. It is practical guidance, not legal advice. For decisions with real risk, ask your legal adviser.

A claim belongs to the finished product

A basic point that is often missed: a claim attaches to the product as sold, not to the starting material. If the base is plant-derived but the coating is a synthetic polymer and the dye is a chemical, a claim about the finished product has to account for all of it. A supplier’s evidence for one layer does not automatically cover the whole product.

Three levels of material claims

1. A descriptive claim. It says what is there. Example: “Outer face: PU-coated fabric. Lining: cotton.” This is the safest level, because you only need to keep the invoice and the specification.

2. A figure claim. It states a measured result. Example: “Total thickness 1.2 mm.” Safe when you have the measurement and know the method. Keep the record.

3. A value claim. It states a broader quality, for instance about environmental effect, origin of material or lasting power. This is the risky level. Customers often read such claims more widely than you meant, and they are hard to prove for a whole product.

Start at level one. Move up only when the file is there.

Rules for keeping material claims narrow

Name the part: “outer layer”, not “product”.
Name the size or the method when there is a figure.
Avoid general words with no clear limit, such as “green” or “natural”, unless you can explain the meaning in one sentence and show the evidence.
Do not copy a supplier claim to your label unchecked. Make sure it is still true for your finished product.
If the material is at research stage and has no data, write no level-three claim at all.

What the rules say, as far as we have read

In Indonesia we found no specific rule on environmental claims. The summary of academic work we read points to the general consumer protection framework; we have not read the articles themselves. For export markets: according to a European Commission page read on 22 Oct 2026, Directive (EU) 2024/825 applies from 27 September 2026, but that page does not detail the ban on general claims. The FTC Green Guides in the US ask marketers to avoid unqualified general environmental claims, per a summary of 16 CFR 260.4. We have not read the official text, so take this as a pointer. If you sell abroad, ask your buyer or legal adviser.

An evidence file per product

Keep one file for each product or each series. It holds:

A list of materials and their layers, taken from the supplier specification.
Purchase invoices and lot numbers.
Test results you hold, with laboratory name, date and method.
The label and hangtag text as printed, with the print date.
The name of the person in your team who approved each claim.

When a customer or buyer asks a question, this file answers it in five minutes.

Listing text on a marketplace is a claim too. Many brands write the label with care and then write the online description with looser words. Make the two match. If a word is in the description and not on the label, ask whether you have the evidence for it.

A new material with no data yet

A new sheet material, including one from coconut, often arrives with an attractive story and thin data. The Kora coconut-derived material, from one of the producers discussed on this site, has no published test data and no stated product stage. Until data exist, level-two and level-three claims for a product made from it have no basis. See the swatch card for the Kora coconut material for what is listed and what is still empty.

A helper sheet

Use the label claim check sheet to turn each word on a supplier label into a question, and store the answers in the product file. Basic terms are explained on the safe claims page.

Ask us

If you are drafting a label for a product made from sheet material and want to know what Kora can state in writing about its material, send a question through the contact page. We reply within two business days and say plainly when the data do not exist yet.

Questions buyers ask

Why does a supplier's claim not automatically carry over to my finished product label?

Claims attach to the product you sell. If the base is plant-derived but the coating is a synthetic polymer and the dye a chemical, a claim about the finished product must account for all of it. A supplier's proof for one layer does not cover the whole product.

What are the three levels of material claim on a label?

Descriptive claims state what is there, such as an outer fabric with PU coating. Figure claims state a measurement, such as total thickness 1.2 mm, and need your records and the method. Value claims cover broader qualities like origin or durability and are the riskiest. Start at level one.

What belongs in an evidence file for a labelled product?

A materials list with layers from the supplier specification, purchase notes and lot numbers, any test results with laboratory name, date and method, the printed label and hangtag text with print date, and the name of who in your team approved each claim.

Do marketplace listings count as material claims too?

Yes. Descriptions on marketplaces and social media are claims, like a label. Brands often word the label carefully and the listing loosely. Make them match, and if a word appears online but not on the label, check that you hold proof for it.