Eco-Seals: Who Can We Trust?

With consumers becoming increasingly interested in reducing their environmental impact, it seems as if every new product is heralded as being “green.” However, with no governmental regulation on eco-labeling, the question remains: what constitutes a “green” product?

While on Grist yesterday, I came across this article from The Wall Street Journal which examines the proliferation of eco-seals in today's market.

Many are pushing for the federal government to take a stronger role in regulating "green" labels. Last year Sen. Dianne Feinstein (Calif.) introduced an eco-label program that would recognize some products as environmentally favorable. "A growing number of consumers are interested in making informed choices about the environmental impacts of their purchases -- and I believe the federal government can help," Sen. Feinstein said, "So, I am working with consumer advocates, manufacturers, distributors, and existing labeling and certification project leaders ... to create an accredited national eco-label program."

Despite these efforts, the article points to the FDA's organic food certification process as an example of the difficulty in government intervention: "With food, it took decades of competing efforts in the private marketplace and at the state level before the federal government came up with standards and regulations acceptable to the myriad interested parties."

Until significant strides in regulation occur in Washington, independent certification processes remain the best bet in sorting through the "greenwashing."

Take a look at GreenCupboards' certification process as well as ecolabelling.org for more information on reliable eco-labels and what exactly makes products environmentally friendly.