Get to Know Green Symbols and Standards

Eco-friendly, Organic, and Green

Sounds like a song, but what makes product manufacturers eligible to claim products eco-friendly, organic or green? According to a recent survey by Green Seal and EnviroMedia Social Marketing, 21% of consumers say a product‘s reputation is the biggest factor they weigh when making purchasing decisions, but one in three consumers say they don’t know how to tell if green product claims are true. In another survey conducted by BBMG and reported by greenbiz.org, consumers are more familiar and will buy the Energy Star and Recycled labeled products compared to other labels surveyed, however, USDA Organic consumers will recognize the label 62% of the time.

Manufacturers and their distributors who label their products using an eco-friendly, organic, or green symbol actually have to meet strict certifiable requirements of the public or private authorities who oversee the green programs.

Consumers can obtain information about a product’s green claim and better understand its ingredients through compliance requirements. Learning about green practices is a positive step for consumers to be better informed along with businesses that engage in environmental sustainability. Here are several frequently used product categories and related seals of approval that impact consumer use, health & safety, and environmental sustainability.

Cleaning Products  

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Design for the Environment (DfE) symbol helps consumers choose products that protect the environment and are safer for families. The DfE label signifies the products have met EPA’s standards for safer cleaning products.  EPA’s DfE program focuses on industries that combine the potential for chemical risk reduction and improvements for energy efficiency with strong motivation to make lasting positive changes. 

The EPA program began in 1992 and now includes a list of over 1500 products designed for more effective environmental protection and by efficiently using cleaner technologies.  Consumer and industrial/institutional products range from floor care, laundry and even stain and paint removal such as graffiti.

Food Products    

Established in 1992, the USDA Organic seal symbolizes that food products are originating from farms or handling operations that have been certified by a state or private entity accredited by USDA.  Label requirements are based on the percentage of organic ingredients.  For example, food products labeled as organic must contain at least 95% organic materials to display the USDA Organic seal.  However, products that are 100% organic may also include this claim.

Products that contain at least 75% organic materials may not use the seal but may use the phrase “made with organic ingredients.”  Processed products that contain less than 70% organic ingredients cannot even use the “organic” term except to identify the special ingredients that are organically produced in the ingredients statement.  

Textiles  

Raw natural fibers, like cotton, wool, and flax are agricultural products covered under the National Organic Program (NOP) production standards established also for food products.  Only textile products produced to the NOP production and processing standards may use the USDA Organic seal, either “100% organic” or “organic” (minimum of 95% organic fiber content).  Labels on textiles from non-certified handling/processing operations may identify specific fibers as being organic if certified to the NOP crop/livestock standard, but may not use the USDA Organic seal.  The crop/livestock standard specifies animals raised on organic farms must be raised on organic feed and have access to the outdoors. The NOP label requirements are in addition to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Textile and Wool Acts.

Recycled Content

The Recycled symbol requires the product manufacturer to state whether the product contains recycled content or the product may be recycled.  Although no formal certification exists, in the US, the Federal Trade Commission regulates compliance claims for products that have been recovered or diverted from the solid waste stream, either during the manufacturing process (pre-consumer)  or after consumer use (post-consumer).  Packaging will contain messages to guide consumers in taking the appropriate steps to recycle and require consumers to carry out recycling best practices.   

Plastic containers may or may not be recycled into community based systems and consumers need to understand the ones to avoid. More importantly, the plastic containers to avoid reusing or heating are labeled 3, 6, and 7 because of toxicity levels emitted under these circumstances.  

Retail Goods, Buildings, Forest Products, and Tourism

The Green Seal provides science based environmental certification standards of excellence on a wide range of products for personal care, restaurants and food services, printing paper, paints, cleaning products, and so on. Green Seal is an independent non-profit organization founded in 1989 and its seal symbolizes reliability, fairness, and integrity. The certification requirements consider environmentally responsible actions pertaining to air quality, water and energy use and conservation, waste reduction and management, hazardous substances disposal, company responsibility strategic plans and charters, and other product specific requirements.  Businesses benefit by posting their Green Seal certification and a checklist of requirements it has met as a formal statement to the public of its environmentally responsible standards. 

Renewal Energy

Renewal energy products including solar electric, wind, geothermal, hydropower, biomass, municipal solid waste, and biodiesel may be certified by a private consumer protection program called Green-e.  The Green-e certification applies to residential use, regional public and private electricity distribution, and industry.  Green-e is governed by a set of national standards that establish a minimum of 25% offset of a customer’s electricity usage with new renewables and beyond any state mandated renewal program.  Block programs that pertain to regional distribution of electricity must be 100% certifiable at minimum amounts of 100 kWh/month.   Industrial organizations large and small may apply for Green-e certification to commit to renewal energy as well as purchase offsets to support environmental sustainability practices.

Renewal energy products are used to replace fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas because these fuels cause 80% of the greenhouse gas (GhG) emissions  and are at the heart of the climate change movement. 

Although there are over several hundred green symbols representing green sustainable programs, understanding the compliance requirements is a good place to start to learn more about a company and its products.  Ecolabelling.org provides a listing of over 325 labels, including EU Ecolabel on retail goods for European consumers, the green building rating system called Leadership for Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), and Energy Star energy efficient products (see Main Street News) to name a few others. Consumers also need to recognize that although products may receive a certifiable seal, for example, Smart Choice, you may also want to compare healthier food choices as well.