What is an environmental label?

ECO LABEL or eco labels are signs placed on product packaging or electronic catalogs that help consumers and business buyers quickly and easily identify products that meet certain environmental performance standards, and are therefore considered "more environmentally desirable".

Ecological labeling is a voluntary environmental performance certification and labeling method that has been applied globally. Ecological labeling identifies products or services that have been proven to be more environmentally desirable within a given category.

Ecological labels can be owned or managed by government agencies, non-profit environmental protection organizations, or private sector organizations.

Ecological labels can have a single attribute, which means they focus on a single lifecycle stage (i.e. usage stage) or a single environmental issue (i.e. VOC emissions) of a product/service. They can also be multi specific, meaning they focus on the entire lifecycle of the product/service (production, use, maintenance, disposal) and address many different environmental issues (i.e. energy use, chemical use, recycling, etc.).

Ecological labels are used worldwide to encourage consumers to change their consumption habits and wisely use resources and energy in sustainable development efforts in the next century.