environmentweb guide to green labeling
Many items we see on the shelves offer labels to demonstrate their green credentials, but it's often far from clear exactly what these labels mean. This guide aims to show some of the common labels seen on products along with brief outlines of what the label actually means. This includes food labels, organic labels, fair trade labels and other eco-related labeling.
Food labels
There are a wide variety of labels that appear on our food. Here are some of the most common:
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The LEAF Marque label is an assurance that the product has been farmed in accordance with certain principles that allow farms to operate in an efficient and profitable manner while maximising environmental benefits. For more details visit http://www.leafmarque.com/ |
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The Marine Stewardship Council is a global non-profit organisation that aims to solve the problem of over fishing. Buying fish with this label means that you know it has come from well-managed and sustainable fish stocks For more details visit http://eng.msc.org/ |
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The Red Tractor scheme is run by a not-for-profit organisation and covers a wide variety of products including fruit, vegetables, flour and a number of types of meat. While less stringent than some of the other schemes it ensures that minimum standards are maintained for animal welfare and the environment as well as food safety and hygiene standards. For more details visit http://www.myredtractor.co.uk/ |
Organic Labels
There are a number of organisations that provide organic certification in the UK. Here are some of the most common organic labels that you're likely to come across. For more information on organic products see our guide to organic.
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The Soil Association Organic Standard logo indicates that the product is certified organic by the Soil Association. The product should also carry the Soil Association code UK5 somewhere on the packaging. For more details visit http://www.soilassociation.org/ |
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The Organic Farmers & Growers logo indicates organic certification by this association. Their organic certification code UK2 should also be displayed on the product. For more details visit http://www.organicfarmers.org.uk/ |
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The Scottish Organic Producers Association is the leading certification body for organic produce in Scotland. Their certification code is UK3. For more details visit http://www.sopa.org.uk/ |
Fair Trade Logos
Fairly traded products are those that ensure a fair deal for farmers and workers in developing countries. Doing this allows the farmers and workers to improve their own position and should aid in long term development.
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The Fairtrade Mark is probably the most well known label indicating fairly traded products. This indicates that the product meets the standards set by the fairtrade Foundation, a development organisation that aims to tackle poverty and injustice through trade. For more details visit http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/ |
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The Ethical Trading Initiative is an alliance of organisations including non-governmental organisations (NGO's), trade unions and corporations that aims to improve the lives of working people around the world. This logo indicates that the product meets their good practice guidelines. For more details visit http://www.ethicaltrade.org/ |
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This logo indicates that the producer or supplier is a member of IFAT, an international association of fair trade organisations that aim to develop the market for fair trade and increase peoples trust in fairly traded products. For more details visit http://www.ifat.org/ |
Other eco-related labels
There are also numerous other labels that mark out products as being eco-friendly or ethical. These include:
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The Rainforest Alliance works to maintain biodiversity and ensure sustainable livelihoods for producers and growers by changing land-use practices, business practices and consumer behavior. Their certification is a guarantee that the products are a result of practices that balance ecological, economic and social considerations. For more details visit http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/ |
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The Carbon Reduction label gives an indication of a products carbon footprint throughout its lifecycle of manufacture, distribution, use and disposal. The presence of the label shows that the company labeling the product is committed to reducing the current carbon footprint figure within two years. For more details visit http://www.carbon-label.co.uk/ |
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The Forestry Stewardship Council is an independent, non-governmental and not for profit organisation that promotes responsible management of the worlds forests. This label indicates that the products meets the FSC's strict environmental and social requirements. For more details visit http://www.fsc.org/ |
Further information
While these are some of the most common labels there are also many more that you may come across. Fortunately there are a number of other resources that exist to help explain the many green labels that can be found on products. These include:
ecolabelling.org an extensive directory of eco-labels and what they mean
direct.gov green labels & claims a summary of eco-labeling provided on direct.gov.uk
DEFRA shopper's guide to green labels a printable pamphlet provided by DEFRA to explain green labeling
