Eco-Labeling and Green Washing: Think Before You Pay

We have all been put into that position at the grocery store or in the appliance section where you have two options to choose from: organic vs. conventional, energy star toaster vs. cheap toaster. But you can’t believe everything you see. The labels we see on a daily basis as consumers like “green” “natural” “eco-friendly” are meant to help us make more conscious purchasing decisions. But what do they all mean?

Eco-labeling, according to the Global Eco-labeling Network, is a voluntary process in which a product is certified as environmentally friendly based on a standard assessed by cradle-to-grave impacts known as a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). So consider a toaster. The LCA would begin by assessing the environmental impacts of the raw and synthetic materials that make up a toaster, continue assessment throughout the manufacturing and shipping of the toaster, and end with the consumer. Sounds great right? We get to really know where and how that toaster was made. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.

  Eco-labels are awarded to a range of products from washing machines to organic foods by a private third party after independently being deemed as environmentally superior to similar products. The primary purpose of eco-labeling is to inform consumers how a product may potentially impact the environment and has become a key marketing tool. Eco-labeling has failed to act as an informative marker for environmentally sound products and has been abused by advertisers to promote sales, known as “greenwashing”.

Many environmentalists have seen Greenwashing as the key issue behind the eco-labeling movement. The EnviroMedia Greenwashing Index defines greenwashing as when a company or organization puts more resources into the physical label and marketing of a product rather than actually practicing environmental soundness. Greenwashing can be achieved in many ways; the most common greenwashing tools are vagueness and irrelevance. It is obvious that many companies who use eco-labeling are not concerned with the environmental impacts that may result from particular the production and use of goods. These companies are pouring money into making consumers believe their product is environmentally superior but there is no government regulation or oversight over the standards private third parties are using to deem a product as green.

How to avoid green washing: Look beyond the label. Transparency of products thatwe consume on a daily basis is becoming more difficult. Most people cannot even trace the apples bought at a grocery store back to the farm in which they came from. The best conscious consumers can do is research the products they love most but can’t seem to figure out where they came from. YOU can be the private third party that makes the call on whether or not the items you are purchasing are green.

-Stephanee Souza

Environmental Director