Ecolabelling is the method of labelling and certification that is practised around the world. Ecolabels identify the services or products for the consumers to ensure them the product or service is environmentally preferable within a specific category. The ecolabel on the product means it is certified against a science-based standard. Read out this article to know more about ecolabeling and its types.
What are Ecolabels?
Concerning the impact of production systems on the environment, a number of efforts have been made by the authorities. Out of all these efforts, ecolabelling is a way to shift the behaviour of both consumers and producers. Several companies use Eco-labels food and services to ensure their services or products are sustainable and trustworthy. These companies, firms, or organisations label their products or services to share important information with their consumers about the contents of the product and its quality. this important information is used as a tool that encourages the consumers to differentiate between similar products and use the one, they trust.
The ecolabelling aims to do the following thing:
Inform the consumers about the impact of their consumption patterns environmentally.
Encourage the producers to improve the sustainability of the products and services they are selling.
Types of Ecolabels
There are three main types of ecolabels
Type I
Type II
Type III
Type I
This type of ecolabelling is the classic ecolabel that evaluates the quality of the product compared with other products. This type of ecolabel is designed to be consumer-friendly. This type is based on the criteria and awarded by a certified third-party program. The criteria and categories are defined by the experts, for example, academic researchers, and groups of technical experts. For consumer education, type I is considered the gold standard. Type I eco-label is often supported by the government and it ensures the consumers that they are using the product or service that is sustainable and trustworthy.
Type II
This type of ecolabelling includes the claims by the importers, manufacturers, retailers, and distributors about the environmental characteristics of the product or service. This type of eco-label is self-declared. It focuses on the quality of the products and checks if the product is compostable. This type is not independently certified and should be verifiable. This type of ecolabeling can raise questions about the validity or certification. Dolphin safe is an example of the type II eco-label that describe the environmental safety of the specific product or service.
Type III
This type of ecolabelling deals with the voluntary declarations of the sustainability of the entire life cycle of the products or services. This type of ecolabel is often B2B in nature. This type may or may not be certified by a third party. It does not certify the specific quality of the product or service. This type of eco-label facilitates the consumers to draw independent conclusions about the sustainability of the service or product. Unlike type I label, type III labels do not judge the products and leave the judgement to the consumers. The report obtained from it is known as an Environmental Product Declaration or EPD.
Conclusion
Ecolabel is a type of product labelling that certifies environmental performance. Ecolabels are awarded to the services and companies that meet the quality standards of the environment. When the product or service of any company is certified the ecolabel confirms that quality standards have been achieved. The ecolabel serves as an acknowledgement that the product or service that is certified is more sustainable and environmentally friendly. The three main types of eco-labels present three types of evaluation.