Every couple of months there seems to be a new label here in Switzerland, for clothing and food, for appliances and buildings, even for cities. When I go shopping I find a veritable alphabet soup of so-called “ecolabels.” Building industry journals can be even more confusing. Each country seems to have its own building label and sustainability certification in addition to individual product label.
These labels are meant to help us, but there are so many that it is easy to wonder about their reliability and even their effectiveness. Like alphabet soup, the more letters and logos there are, the more scrambled their messages become.
a short history
The Blue Angel label (Blaue Engel), launched in 1978 by the then West German environment office is often cited as the first ecolabel. The angel in its blue logo was a direct reference to the
United Nations and its Environment Program (UNEP). The label originally promoted paper and office products, but it has grown to become a trusted institution for the monitoring of products and
companies worldwide. The ubiquitous green recycling triangle appeared even earlier, making its debut in a student competition for recycled paperboard packaging run by the Container Corporation of
America in 1970.[1] But the approval stamps have been with us for
ages. When I was a child, my father would only let toothpaste “approved by the American Dental Association” into our house. So maybe it’s a generational thing; we’ve been raised to trust
endorsements.
role of labels
Labels do affect our consumer choices and often influence the amount we are willing to pay for products that are, for example, better for the environment. Which is why it is important to
understand what the labels mean. Almost all ecolabels aim to guide consumers in choosing environmentally and socially friendly products and services. Labels signify the stewardship of resources,
low energy use or socially responsible structures. Fair-trade labels have made a huge impact in how we buy products such as coffee and cotton, despite higher costs. And “made in America” is a
message that speaks loudly for many different reasons. Here in Switzerland, labels touting regional production have been very successful in encouraging consumers to buy locally.
There are, however, problems inherent in trusting all of the labels floating around. The most obvious problem is that not all labels are equal. Ratings and certifications issued by independent bodies tend to be more trustworthy than those assigned by manufacturers or retailers themselves. One downside to energy-use ratings on home appliances and electronics is a tendency for people to think that because something is energy-efficient they can buy a larger or more powerful unit, thereby negating any potential energy savings.[2]
It can be a good thing when a label puts itself out of business. The success of the Swiss building label demonstrates this quite well. Starting in 1998, the MINERGIE Standard has been recognized throughout Switzerland for producing new and renovated buildings of high quality and low energy consumption. Its certification criteria focus on minimal energy consumption though a well-insulated building envelope partnered with energy-efficient heating and ventilation systems. Certified MINERGIE buildings have fostered a substantial change in building standards; new construction in Switzerland, especially in the housing sector, is pretty much a MINERGIE building. Insulation used in buildings today is much better and contains more renewable raw materials than insulation used 20 years ago, Heating and solar technology is better than it was just ten years ago. In order to maintain the relevance of MINERGIE certification, the label must periodically raise its energy criteria. At the end of the year, new and more stringent standards, which include targets for renewable energy and electricity use within buildings, will be phased in.
How can we best use ecolabels? Fortunately there are websites that can help us make sense of our soup. The Ecolabel Index lists over 200 labels in the US and over 80 in Switzerland. But a great place to start is Project Label, where consumers themselves weigh in on the reliability of hundreds of labels — and rate them!
[1] The “Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval“ is even older - starting in 1909 this label was given to products tested by the magazine. (http://www.canadianbusiness.com/innovation/history-of-consumer-labelling/)
[2] “Is Efficient Sufficient?“ Chris Caldwell, European Council for an Energy efficient Economy, 2010
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