Standards for "Green" Labels
Can You be Sure that Biodegradable Product Really is Eco-friendly?
Jul 19, 2009
With global climate changes looming, many people are making efforts to choose eco-friendly products, and companies are taking full advantage of this increasing concern. Store shelves are now full of products that claim to be biodegradable, compostable, or recyclable. But, what do these labels really mean and who enforces their use?
Industry Guidelines for Eco-labels
To standardize labeling systems and avoid misleading messages about the environmental advantages of products, both the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in the US and the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) and Competion Bureau provide industry guidelines for the use of eco-labels in which they define commonly-used terms and rules for using them.
Definitions and Standards for Common "Green" Labels
Degradable, Biodegradable, photodegradable— The entire product or package will completely break down and return to nature, i.e., decompose into elements found in nature within a reasonably short period of time after customary disposal.
Note that this requirement specifies “customary disposal”. Recently, the FTC charged Kmart for misleading consumers by stocking disposable plates that were labeled "biodegradable" because they determined that customers usually put the plates in the trash after they used them. Although studies indicated that the plates would completely decompose in a compost system, they did not decompose in a landfill where they were sent when customers threw them out.
Compostable — all the materials in the product or package will break down into, or otherwise become part of, usable compost (e.g., soil-conditioning material or mulch) in a safe and timely manner in an appropriate composting program or facility, or in a home compost pile or device.
The availability of composting facilities can be a problem for products that do not decompose in home compost systems. The guidelines specify that if a product requires commercial composting facilities to decompose, such facilities must be available to the majority of consumers to whom the product is available or the label must clearly indicate the limited availability of those facilities.
Recyclable — the product can be collected, separated or otherwise recovered from the solid waste stream for reuse, or in the manufacture or assembly of another package or product, through an established recycling program.
If the product requires specialized facilities that are not commonly available, the label must clearly indicate that the product may not be recycled in some areas.
Enforcing the Eco-label Standards
Although these guidelines are beneficial to define and determine acceptable use, their usage is not monitored or controlled. The FTC and Competition Bureau can investigate and charge companies if products are mislabeled and deemed misleading or deceptive to consumers. However, they do not routinely check for compliance before products are distributed. As a result, consumers are left to determine the validity of these labels themselves.
What Can Consumers Do?
Before you purchase a product for its eco-friendly benefits, do some basic research and keep the following tips in mind.
- Broad-based, general claims about being environmentally friendly are generally meaningless. Do not be swayed by products that have "green" buzzwords in their names or labels if they do not provide details about the how the label applies.
- Manufacturers are required to back up their use of eco-labels with scientific research. Contact the company and request evidence for their claims. If they are unable to provide any, it is questionable whether their claims are accurate.
- If a specific environment is required for the product to decompose, ask the manufacturer to provide a list of specific facilities that can be used. They may not be able to provide this list, but if enough customers request this information, they are more likely to do the research and provide it.
- If the product requires a commercial facility to decompose or be recycled, contact such facilities in your area to be sure they do accept that product.
- If you encounter a product that has an eco-label but doesn't live up to the usage guidelines, submit a complaint to the FTC or Competition Bureau in Canada. As more companies are called to account for their usage of green labels, more companies will take the guidelines seriously and avoid misrepresenting their products.
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