What is a green product? Labels and certificates
Ecological products. Despite the large increase in supply and demand for them in recent years, there is still a great ignorance among consumers about what these products are and how to identify them.
This causes some companies to take advantage of this confusion to sell as eco-friendly products that are not such and it is common to see on the shelves of the “organic” section of the supermarkets a large amount of uncertified items.
In this article we will learn what green products are and how we can identify them.
What does it mean that a product is “green” ?
Adjectives like “green”, “ecological”, “organic”, etc, are used every day in such an abstract, and clichéd way that most people do not really understand what they mean.
Eco, bio, organic, natural?
First, we must know what we are talking about, as these terms are used indistinctly by media and companies, which increase consumers confusion.
So, let’s clarify them:
- Green: Well, green means… green. Just a color. And although it can be useful to quickly associate a product, an organization (looking at you, Green Bitácora), a political proposal, etc, with being eco-friendly, in the end it’s just marketing and you shouldn’t be guided by it.
- Organic: In English speaking countries, is the word used to refer to ecological farming, and also to the food produced by this type of farming.
- Bio, Eco: These terms are commonly use in the same sense than “organic” in European countries, specially in France and Germany.
- Natural: It is a term often used as misleading advertising, to pass off as ecological something that is not, given the ambiguity of the word. If you think about it, Can we consider any type of farming as “natural”? Aren’t fosil fuels natural? Exactly, it’s not a very appropriate word.
In this article we will use “ecological” as the term to refer to both, food and non-food products. Even though “organic” is the one widely use in English for food we don’t think is an appropriate term, and we will publish an article soon explaining why.
Ok, what is an ecological product then?
We can define an ecological product as one that during its entire life cycle (production, use and disposal) produce the least possible impact on the environment.
Based on this definition, the requirements for considering a product as ecological vary according to the type of product and even the entity that certifies it as such.
For example, for a chocolate bar to be considered ecological, one certificate may require a minimum of 95% of the ingredients to be from ecological origin while another requires only 80%.
To better understand this, we will divide these products into two categories: food and manufactured products.
Ecological food
Is food that directly or indirectly (by its ingredients) come from ecological farming.
This type of farming is defined by requirements that vary according to the country or economic area. In this article we show those used by the European Union as it is a market with a very clear regulation on this matter.
Ecological farming
- Prohibition of the use of chemical pesticides and synthetic fertilizers
- Ban on the use of mineral nitrogen fertilisers
- Prohibition of the use of GMO (geneticly modified) plants or animals
- Prohibition of the use of ionizing radiation
- Animals must be feed with 100% ecological food
- Cloning animals and or transferring embryos is strictly forbidden
- Growth promoters and synthetic amino-acids are prohibited
- Prohibiting the use of hormones and restrict the use of antibiotics and only when necessary for animal health
- The number of livestock must be limited to minimising overgrazing, erosion, or pollution caused by animals or by the spreading of their manure
- Animals should have, whenever possible, access to open air or grazing areas
- Tethering or isolating livestock is prohibited aside from individual animals for a limited period of time and only for welfare, safety or veterinary reasons
In addition to the above, in the case of processed foods there are other restrictions that affect them:
- The preparation of processed ecological food should be kept separate in time and space from conventional food
- A minimum of 95% of its ingredients must be from ecological farming and strict conditions apply to the remaining 5%
- Restriction of authorised additives and permitted processing aids to assist in processing
Ecological manufactured products
Manufactured products cover so many different areas, with huge differences in product life and the ways in which the product impacts the environment, that we cannot cover them all here.
We have therefore chosen three groups of products that are very common in our daily lives to illustrate how these can be environmentally friendly.
Again, we will use the requirements of the European Union to ilustrate this.
Cleaning products
- Cannot contain compounds from unsustainable deforestation (such as palm oil)
- Product packaging should be the minimum necessary, and be made of recyclable materials
- They may not contain substances that cause respiratory problems, skin damage, cancer or that may cause serious poisoning.
- They must require less water and energy thanks to more concentrated and efficient solutions (in the case of detergents or dishwashers, for example)
- Sprayers must be refillable and not single-use, and cannot use propellant gases
Appliances
- They must consume as little energy as possible during use and stand-by
- They must consume as little water as possible during use (for example in the case of washing machines)
- The use of substances that are harmful to health and the environment must be limited during their production
- They should be designed to offer a longer life and greater ease of disassembly and recycling
Clothing
- Production must be carried out in accordance with the standards and labour rights established by the International Labour Organization
- During production, water and energy consumption should be limited as much as possible
- Fibres of plant origin (such as cotton or flax) must be at least 95% from ecological farming
- Polyester fibres must be at least 50% recycled polyester, and in the case of nylon fibres at least 20% recycled nylon
- The amount of toxic residues in the fibres must be limited
How can I identify an ecological product?
Now you know what to expect when you buy an ecological product, but how do you know if what you are sold is what it claims to be?
This is where the ecological certificates or eco-labels come in, whose visual representation are the stamps and labels that must appear on the product.
These certificates have different requirements depending on the certifying entity and the type of product they are aimed at. The problem is, as you might have guessed, that there are hundreds of certificates!
But don’t worry, down these lines there is a summary of the most important ones worldwide. And, if you want to investigate further, here is one of the largest online databases of ecological certificates.
| Label | Certification authority | Region |
 | EU Member States | European Union |
 | China Organic Food Certification Center (COFCC) | China |
 | United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) | USA |
 | Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) | India |
 | Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development | Mexico |
 | Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) | Canada |
| Label | Certification authority | Region |
 | EU Member States | European Union |
 | Green Seal | USA |
 | China Environmental United Certification Center | China |
 | Bureau of Indian Standards | India |
 | Japan Environment Association | Japan |
 | Terra Choice | Canada |
Final questions
Now you know what an ecological product is and how to recognize it. However, you probably still have some doubts.
Are only certified products ecological?
No.
Any product that is made with the least possible impact on the environment is ecological, the certificates simply make life easier for the consumer by offering guarantees of that.
Are ecological products more expensive?
This question is not easy to answer. While many have a higher price tag than their non-eco equivalent (especially in food), other factors can make them save you money in the long term.
We plan to write an article dedicated to the cost of ecological products, so please follow us if you don’t want to miss it 🙂
Is ecological food healthier than the rest?
This a very common question, so we have made an entire article to answer it in detail, you can read it here.
Should I only buy ecological products?
Ultimately, everything we consume has an impact on the environment, and not always consuming a certified ecological product will have a lower impact than consuming a conventional product.
There are other factors to take into account, such as the geographical origin of the product. An organic fruit brought from another continent has a much greater impact than a conventional fruit grown near your city.
Finally, you should think about whether you really need what you are buying. Many times not buying is the most ecological option.