Environmentally friendly
Environmentally friendly (also eco-friendly, nature friendly, and green) are terms used to refer to goods and services, laws, guidelines and policies claimed to inflict minimal or no harm on the environment.[1] Companies sometimes use these terms to promote goods and services by making environmental marketing claims and with eco-labels. The term sometimes is used as greenwashing.
Because there is no accepted definition nor international standard for this concept, the International Organization for Standardization considers such labels too vague to be meaningful.[2]
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[edit] Regional variants
[edit] Europe
Products located in members of the European Union can use the EU's Eco-label pending the EU's approval.[3] EMAS is another EU label[4] that signifies whether an organization management is green as opposed to the product.[5] Germany also uses the Blue Angel, based on Germany's standards.[6]
[edit] North America
In the United States, environmental marketing claims require caution. Ambiguous titles such as environmentally friendly can be confusing without a specific definition; some regulators are providing guidance.[7]
The United States Environmental Protection Agency has deemed this language useless in determining whether a product is truly "green".[2]
In Canada, one label is that of the Environmental Choice Program.[6] Created in 1988,[8] only products approved by the program are allowed to display the label.[9]
[edit] Oceania
The Energy Rating Label is a Type III label[10][11] that provides information on "energy service per unit of energy consumption".[12] It was first created in 1986, but negotiations led to a redesign in 2000.[13]
[edit] International
Energy Star is a program with a primary goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.[14] Energy Star has different sections for different nations or areas, including the United States,[15] the European Union [16] and Australia.[17] The program, which was founded in the United States, also exists in Canada, Japan, New Zealand, and Taiwan.[18]
[edit] See also
- Design for Environment
- Environmental Choice Program
- Environmental enterprise
- Environmentalism
- Environmental movement
- Environmental organizations
- Environmental protection
- Green brands
- Greener festivals
- Greenwashing
- List of environmental issues
- List of environmental organizations
- List of environmental topics
- Natural capital
- Natural environment
- Natural resource
- Nature
[edit] References
- ^ "nature-friendly". Webster's New Millennium Dictionary of English, Preview Edition (v 0.9.7). Lexico Publishing Group, LLC..
- ^ a b "Labels -environmentally friendly". ecolabels. http://www.greenerchoices.org/eco-labels/eco-home.cfm?redirect=1. Retrieved 2007-07-09.
- ^ "Welcome to the European Union Eco-label Homepage". EUROPA. http://ec.europa.eu/environment/ecolabel/index_en.htm. Retrieved 2007-07-10.
- ^ "EMAS". EUROPA. http://ec.europa.eu/environment/emas/index_en.htm. Retrieved 2007-07-10.
- ^ "Minutes" (PDF). EUEB Coordination and Cooperation Management Group. http://ec.europa.eu/environment/ecolabel/pdf/meetings/draftmin0905.pdf. Retrieved 2007-07-10.
- ^ a b "Environmental Labels Type I". Ricoh. http://www.ricoh.com/environment/label/type1/index.html#hun_eco. Retrieved 2007-07-10.
- ^ "Environmental Claims". Federal Trade Commission. 2008-11-17. http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/grnrule/guides980427.htm. Retrieved 17 November 2008.
- ^ "About the Program". EcoLogo. Archived from the original on 2007-06-18. http://web.archive.org/web/20070618224105/http://www.environmentalchoice.com/English/ECP+Footer/About+the+Program. Retrieved 2007-07-10.
- ^ "Environmental Choice (Canada)". Environment Canada. Archived from the original on 2007-11-25. http://web.archive.org/web/20071125105653/http://www.ns.ec.gc.ca/g7/eco-can.html. Retrieved 2007-07-10.
- ^ "Overview of Regulatory Requirements - Labelling and MEPS". Energy Rating Label. http://www.energyrating.gov.au/man1.html. Retrieved 2007-07-10.
- ^ Arnaud Bizard, Brett Lee, Karen Puterrman (PDF). AWARE and Environmental Labeling Programs: One Step Closer to a Sustainable Economy. ME 589. http://www.cmu.edu/me/ddl/AWARE/AWARE-Labeling-Report-ME589-2004.pdf. Retrieved 2007-07-10.
- ^ "Overview of how are star ratings calculated?". Energy Rating Label. http://www.energyrating.gov.au/star.html. Retrieved 2007-07-10.
- ^ "The Energy Label". Energy Rating Label. http://www.energyrating.gov.au/con3.html. Retrieved 2007-07-10.
- ^ "About Energy Star". Energy Star. http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=about.ab_index. Retrieved 2007-07-10.
- ^ "United States Energy Star Home Page". Energy Star. http://www.energystar.gov/. Retrieved 2007-07-10.
- ^ "EU Energy Star Home Page". Energy Star. http://www.eu-energystar.org/. Retrieved 2007-07-10.
- ^ "Australia Energy Star Home Page". Energy Star. http://www.energystar.gov.au/. Retrieved 2007-07-10.
- ^ "Who’s Working With ENERGY STAR? International Partners". Energy Star. http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=partners.intl_implementation. Retrieved 2009-02-03.
