Eco-Labels

Did you know that the 98% natural label on your baby shampoo means virtually nothing? Cruelty-free? Meaningless. Biodegradable?... questionable. When choosing a product, consumers often have little go by except for the packaging and the labels and certifications it includes. However, a great deal of these "eco" labels are virtually meaningless. Many "certifications" have no regulations whatsoever, meaning that any manufacturer can put them on their product and no one will have oversight to make them remove the label if it is incorrect. Other labels, like "free-range" mean only that the animal has to have access to the outdoors for a portion of their lives. Sadly, many of these "free-range" animals are actually too big and broken to walk outside, or may be terrified of the outdoors because they spent their first few weeks locked in a dark pen.
On the other hand, some labels and certification do have rigorous standards and verification processes, and therfeore tell us a lot about a product. If you are curious as to which labels are meaningful and which are meaningless, check out the Greener Choices website on eco-labels. You can search labels for food, personal hygiene, cleaning products and paper products. Pretty sweet. Now someone just needs to make an app for this, so shoppers can check at the store when deciding between products!