Eco-labels

There are a huge range of eco-labels run by a mixture of Governments, NGOs, Trade Associations and for profit enterprises.

Some key points when considering an eco-label

• Meaningful and verifiable - worth certifying and certified
• Consistent and clear - clear what it means across all products
• Transparency - certification body needs to be open
• Independent and protected from conflict of interest 
• Opportunities for public comment - open development of standards and feedback on any errors.

The European Union eco-label is a pan European scheme which has been delegated to the individual countries for implementation.  Some countries such as Germany and the Nordic countries already had well established eco-label schemes prior to the advent of the EU eco-label.