How ecolabels differ from other environmental labels?

How ecolabels differ from other environmental labels?

There is an increasing emphasis on environmental friendliness in various products, but how you can be sure that these products are also really good for the environment? In order to make it easier to distinguish eco-friendly products from conventional products, a number of different ecolabels are used to label them. Do you know what these labels mean and how ecolabels differ from other environmental labels?

Environmental labels refer to different environmental information about products, for example:

• The product is made from recycled material
• Does not contain hazardous chemicals
• The raw materials are obtained in environmentally friendly way

There are two types of green labels: mandatory and voluntary. Warning labels and plastic packaging labels are mandatory. Voluntary labels are divided into three:

Ecolabels

The  ecolabel is a label that confirms the environmental friendliness of a product or service. Consuming products with this label, you can be sure that they are safer for your health and the environment, as they contain less hazardous ingredients. The ecolabel takes into account the whole life cycle of the product, i.e. the sourcing, production, packaging, use of raw materials, etc. Ecolabels are credible because they are issued by an impartial institution, which is based on adequate information and research. So if you see an ecolabel on a product, you can be sure that it meets strict criteria set by experts in the field.

Self-declaring labels 

Self-declared labels indicate the manufacturer's declaration that their product has environmentally friendly properties. As this label is not endorsed or verified by an impartial institution, it is not as reliable as the ecolabel. However, if necessary, the manufacturer must be able to prove that the information provided is correct.

Environmental statements

An environmental statement is a multi-page material produced by a manufacturer about the characteristics of its product. The environmental statement contains information on how the raw materials have been obtained, the composition of the materials used, about energy use, environmental impact, etc. However, no assessment is made of the product's properties. The information in the environmental statement is based on an assessment of the product life cycle, which is certified by an impartial party.