Ecolabels and other environmental claims
If it says on the tin . . .
. . . it must be supported by robust data
If it says on the tin . . .
. . . it must be supported by robust data
Environmental product information enables prospective customers to check whether the environmental attributes of products or services meet their expectations, and enables the green credentials of competing products to be compared. The information can be presented in three formats, each of them covered by a separate ISO standard.
Self-declarations are green claims made by the producer/manufacturer, without any official external certification. These claims must be robust to avoid accusation of misleading advertising or greenwashing.
ISO 14021 establishes rules to improve the validity of self-made claims.
Ecolabels are recognised 'seals' granted to products (or services) meeting environmental criteria specified by the ecolabelling organisation. There are many ecolabel schemes, such as the "European Flower", Blue Angel, Nordic Swan and more.
ISO 14024 sets out rules for ecolabel schemes operated by third-parties .
In the UK, the Government tries to control the quality of self-declared claims with its "Green Claims Code". In the US, the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) has also issued some guidance: Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims ("Green Guides"); these also apply to claims made through a third-party certification programme or label.
Whether you already know which format you want or you need guidance to decide which one is best suited to your objectives, do not hesitate to contact us about
- self-declarations or ecolabels
- environmental product declarations (EPD)
EPDs (also called Type III environmental declarations according to ISO standard) are the environmental equivalent of technical specifications. More about EPD > > >
Working with EuGeos will ensure that your green claims are robust, not "greenwash". We will guide you through the various communication options, the different ecolabel schemes and their product-specific criteria or the EPD process to ensure that your communication is successful.
Before 'writing it on the tin', contact to discuss how best to prepare your green message and get it through
