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Green claims
Organic, Natural, Herbal, Ecosensitive, Eco friendly, Non Toxic....
As these terms get more and more popular one wonders what they really mean? Often manufacturers use these terms loosely without providing any kind of detailed explanation of what they mean and leaving the consumer with a vague impression that the products is 'Safe' or 'Healthy' or 'Fresh'. For eg. a product that claims to be 'Non Toxic' but does not provide a list of ingredients has little meaning. Similarly the use of symbols such as trees and flowers and globes have to be validated by an explanation.
In the U.K, the government has come out with a Green Claims Code, which specifies what is expected by an 'claim' that is carried either on a product or on any advertising material related to the product. This Code could be a good reference for us to develop similar guidelines in India.
You can download a copy of this Code here...
Green Claims could address a variety of aspects related to the environmental impact of the production process, the material used and the disposal process of the product in question. Some examples from the UK include:
The Eco Mark scheme in India
Source: http://envfor.nic.in/cpcb/ecomark/criteria.html
Products is qualified for the Ecomark if they fullfill the following criteria:
More specific requirements for products involve:
Ecomark Scheme of India
Green Labels and Claims in the UK
Labelling ecofriendly products in India: an emerging option for environmental production
An article by S. S. Arvind and E. V. Muley published in The Environmentalist. Mr S. S. Arvind is a member of faculty at the Centre for Energy, Environment and Technology, at the Administrative Staff College of India. He is currently on secondment to the Centre for Technology Development, Clark University, 950, Main Street, Worcester MA 01610-1477, USA. Mr E.V. Muley is a scientist working for the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, Paryavaran Bhavan, CGO Complex, Lodi Road, New Delhi 110003, India.
As these terms get more and more popular one wonders what they really mean? Often manufacturers use these terms loosely without providing any kind of detailed explanation of what they mean and leaving the consumer with a vague impression that the products is 'Safe' or 'Healthy' or 'Fresh'. For eg. a product that claims to be 'Non Toxic' but does not provide a list of ingredients has little meaning. Similarly the use of symbols such as trees and flowers and globes have to be validated by an explanation.
In the U.K, the government has come out with a Green Claims Code, which specifies what is expected by an 'claim' that is carried either on a product or on any advertising material related to the product. This Code could be a good reference for us to develop similar guidelines in India.
You can download a copy of this Code here...
Green Claims could address a variety of aspects related to the environmental impact of the production process, the material used and the disposal process of the product in question. Some examples from the UK include:
- Food Labels
- Organic Labels
- Timber products
- Eco labels
- Energy Labels
- Trade labels
| One label that is most easily recognised these days is the one that indicates the recyclability of a product. The Mobius Loop simply means that a product or part of it can be recycled where facilities are available. The inclusion of a figure in the middle of the arrows shows the percentage of recycled material that has been used to make the product. |
The Eco Mark scheme in India
Source: http://envfor.nic.in/cpcb/ecomark/criteria.html
In India, the Central Pollution Control Board, a body under the Ministry of Environment and Forests, has introduced the Ecomark scheme for the labelling of ecofriendly products. As per their site "To increase consumer awareness, the Government of India launched the eco-labelling scheme known as `Ecomark' in 1991 for easy identification of environment-friendly products. Any product which is made, used or disposed of in a way that significantly reduces the harm it would otherwise cause the environment could be considered as Environment-Friendly Product." |
Products is qualified for the Ecomark if they fullfill the following criteria:
- that they have substantially less potential for pollution than other comparable products in production, usage and disposal.
- that they are recycled, recyclable, made from recycled products or bio- degradable, where comparable products are not;
- that they make significant contribution to saving non-renewable resources including non-renewable energy sources and natural resources compared with comparable products;
- that the product must contribute to a reduction of the adverse primary criteria which has the highest environmental impact associated with the use of the product, and which will be specifically set for each of the product categories.
More specific requirements for products involve:
- production process including source of raw materials;
- use of natural resources;
- likely impact of the environment;
- energy conservation in the production of the product;
- effect and extent of waste arising from the production process;
- disposal of the product and its container;
- utilisation of "Waste" and recycled materials;
- suitability for recycling or packaging; and
- biodegradability
Ecomark Scheme of India
Green Labels and Claims in the UK
Labelling ecofriendly products in India: an emerging option for environmental production
An article by S. S. Arvind and E. V. Muley published in The Environmentalist. Mr S. S. Arvind is a member of faculty at the Centre for Energy, Environment and Technology, at the Administrative Staff College of India. He is currently on secondment to the Centre for Technology Development, Clark University, 950, Main Street, Worcester MA 01610-1477, USA. Mr E.V. Muley is a scientist working for the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, Paryavaran Bhavan, CGO Complex, Lodi Road, New Delhi 110003, India.