Environmentally friendly

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search
 Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page. (July 2007)

Environmentally friendly (also eco-friendly, nature friendly, and green) are synonyms used to refer to goods and services considered to inflict minimal or no harm on the environment.[1] To make consumers aware, environmentally friendly goods and services often are marked with eco-labels. But because there is no single international standard for this concept, the International Organization for Standardization considers such labels too vague to be meaningful.[2]

Contents

[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] Methods

[edit] Renewable clean power

Main article: Renewable energy

There are several environmentally friendly, relatively non-polluting means of generating electricity; namely geothermal power, hydro power, wind power, solar power, tidal power and wave power. However, whether or not one of these causes significant pollution, there are other considerations that need to be taken into account when deciding if a generation source is environmentally friendly. Among these are: How much water does a given method use and take out of the fresh water resources of (a nation, a region, etc.)? How much land, especially agricultural land, is compromised or used up in this method? How much wildlife habitat is compromised or used up? Are traditional uses affected for local indigenous peoples? What is the footprint of the generating plant? What is the footprint of the distribution/transmission method?

[edit] Green cleaning

 The neutrality of this article is disputed. Please see the discussion on the talk page. Please do not remove this message until the dispute is resolved. (February 2009)

Some people claim that many of the chemicals inside of domestic and commercial cleaning products used cause harm and damage to the environment and humans through production, use or disposal of those products. While this is a disputed statement it is generally held that natural products and cleaners are of a better benefit for the environment and safer for those who use and are exposed to them which has led to Green cleaning products being developed.

There is however controversy over the exact definition of green for such cleaners and solvents which has resulted in many companies marketing products as environmentally friendly or green which may not meet some of the basic guidelines for eco-friendly products such as containing high amounts of artificial chemicals. It is these products which are marketed as being environmentally friendly, eco-friendly or green when they do not meet the general guidelines of a green product which results in Greenwashing; changing the image of a product to make it appeal to environmentally minded consumers when in fact the product is not produced, used or able to be disposed in an environmentally friendly manner.

[edit] Green Clothing

A recent trend has emerged supporting the production of environmentally friendly clothing, such as those made out of organic cotton, hemp, bamboo, or recycled materials. Organic clothing is the least expensive of these options, and so far the most popular.

[edit] Pest control

Integrated pest management is regarded as a more environmentally friendly form of pest control than traditional pesticides,[19][20] as its goal is to reduce pesticide use to a minimum by using a variety of less impactive means, with pesticides only as the last resort. Biological pest control is another form of control considered by many experts to be environmentally friendly.[21]

[edit] Waste management

Recycling and composting are viewed as more environmentally friendly forms of waste management than traditional burying or burning practices.[22] The Edmonton Composting Facility in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, in the largest composting facility in the world; representing 35% of Canada's centralized composting capacity.[23] The $100-million co-composter results in Edmonton recycling 65% of its residential waste.[23]

[edit] See also

Sustainable development portal
Environment portal

[edit] References

  1. ^ "nature-friendly". Webster's New Millennium Dictionary of English, Preview Edition (v 0.9.7). Lexico Publishing Group, LLC.. 
  2. ^ a b "Labels -environmentally friendly" (HTML). ecolabels. http://www.greenerchoices.org/eco-labels/eco-home.cfm?redirect=1. Retrieved on 2007-07-09. 
  3. ^ "Welcome to the European Union Eco-label Homepage" (HTML). EUROPA. http://ec.europa.eu/environment/ecolabel/index_en.htm. Retrieved on 2007-07-10. 
  4. ^ "EMAS" (HTML). EUROPA. http://ec.europa.eu/environment/emas/index_en.htm. Retrieved on 2007-07-10. 
  5. ^ "Minutes" (PDF). EUEB Coordination and Cooperation Management Group. http://ec.europa.eu/environment/ecolabel/pdf/meetings/draftmin0905.pdf. Retrieved on 2007-07-10. 
  6. ^ a b "Environmental Labels Type I" (HTML). Ricoh. http://www.ricoh.com/environment/label/type1/index.html#hun_eco. Retrieved on 2007-07-10. 
  7. ^ "Environmental Claims". Federal Trade Commission. 2008-11-17. http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/grnrule/guides980427.htm. Retrieved on 17 November 2008. 
  8. ^ "About the Program" (HTML). EcoLogo. http://www.environmentalchoice.com/English/ECP%20Footer/About%20the%20Program. Retrieved on 2007-07-10. 
  9. ^ "Environmental Choice (Canada)" (HTML). Environment Canada. http://www.ns.ec.gc.ca/g7/eco-can.html. Retrieved on 2007-07-10. 
  10. ^ "Overview of Regulatory Requirements - Labelling and MEPS" (HTML). Energy Rating Label. http://www.energyrating.gov.au/man1.html. Retrieved on 2007-07-10. 
  11. ^ 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 on 2007-07-10. 
  12. ^ "Overview of how are star ratings calculated?" (HTML). Energy Rating Label. http://www.energyrating.gov.au/star.html. Retrieved on 2007-07-10. 
  13. ^ "The Energy Label" (HTML). Energy Rating Label. http://www.energyrating.gov.au/con3.html. Retrieved on 2007-07-10. 
  14. ^ "About Energy Star" (HTML). Energy Star. http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=about.ab_index. Retrieved on 2007-07-10. 
  15. ^ "United States Energy Star Home Page" (HTML). Energy Star. http://www.energystar.gov/. Retrieved on 2007-07-10. 
  16. ^ "EU Energy Star Home Page" (HTML). Energy Star. http://www.eu-energystar.org/. Retrieved on 2007-07-10. 
  17. ^ "Australia Energy Star Home Page" (HTML). Energy Star. http://www.energystar.gov.au/. Retrieved on 2007-07-10. 
  18. ^ "Who’s Working With ENERGY STAR? International Partners" (HTML). Energy Star. http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=partners.intl_implementation. Retrieved on 2009-02-03. 
  19. ^ "Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in Schools" (HTML). EPA. http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/ipm/. Retrieved on 2007-07-09. 
  20. ^ "What is a Pesticide?" (HTML). EPA. http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/about/. Retrieved on 2007-07-09. 
  21. ^ "August's Glossary- Biological control". RHS Online. Royal Horticultural Society. http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/months/august_glossary.asp. Retrieved on 2007-07-09. 
  22. ^ "Recycling" (HTML). UNEP Production and Consumption Unit - Waste Management. http://www.unep.fr/pc/pc/waste/recycling.htm. Retrieved on 2007-07-09. 
  23. ^ a b "Waste Management Definitions" (HTML). C&D. http://www.aggregatepros.com/DefinitionsWasteManagement.html. Retrieved on 2007-07-09. 

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmentally_friendly"
Personal tools