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Ecolabelling is a way to show that products or services are better for the environment. An eco-label tells you that a product or service is better for the environment in a specific category. It is a choice a company makes to prove that their product or service is good for the environment. Ecolabelling systems exist for both food and consumer products.
EU scenario
The European Union has created ecolabeling laws and their own ecolabels for food and consumer products. The EU Ecolabel, initiated by the European Commission in 1992, serves as a valuable tool for identifying products and services that demonstrate a decreased environmental impact across their entire life cycle. Widely acknowledged throughout Europe, this voluntary label advocates environmental excellence and is considered highly reliable. Notably, it stands as the sole pan-European Type I official ecolabel.
US Scenario
USA regulates eco-labelling via Environmental Protection Agency. EPA along with multiple stakeholders has established Environmental Performance Standards(EPS). These EPS set specified levels of performance in order to claim that a product or service is “environmentally preferable”. Different ecolabel programs developed by EPA are mentioned below -
- ENERGY STAR® - It is a government-backed symbol for energy efficiency
- Safer Choice - Products bearing the Safer Choice label enable consumers and commercial buyers to easily identify products with safer chemical ingredients.
- SmartWay® - This program reduces transportation-related emissions, certifies the 20% lowest-emitting passenger vehicles each model year based on greenhouse gas and smog ratings.
- Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) - This EPA program assesses and controls replacements for chemicals in refrigerators, air conditioners, and aerosol propellants that harm the ozone layer or contribute to climate change.
- WaterSense - The WaterSense label simplifies the search for water-efficient products, new homes, and programs that meet EPA’s criteria for efficiency and performance.
Role of ISO (International Organization for Standardization)
The number of ecolabelling programs has been rapidly increasing worldwide and across various business sectors. At the same time, there has been a proliferation of umbrella labeling programs. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has developed standards for labeling practices within the ISO 14000 schema.