In short, no, because all products depend on the extraction of natural resources and there is no way to guarantee that these ecosystems have not been damaged. When something claims a large profit, such as «environmentally friendly,» it essentially refuses to consider the details of the impacts and further confuses the relationship between products and the planet. As we mentioned in our definitions of non-toxic and sustainable, products can be more or less harmful to the environment, but never entirely without effects. According to Merriam-Webster, the official definition of environmentally friendly is: not harmful to the environment.» When it comes to products, this means that everything from production to packaging must be considered safe for the environment. But the FTC has strict guidelines for environmentally friendly claims, and this is where it gets tricky: the FTC`s green guides say packaging must explain why it`s environmentally friendly so that a product can be properly labeled as «environmentally friendly.» Otherwise, depending on how consumers actually use the product, it could actually be harmful to the environment. To be honest, our environmental experts prefer to use the term «sustainable» rather than «environmentally friendly.» What for? When it comes to product production, everything has a negative impact on the environment (think water consumption, energy and product waste, etc.), which means that there is really no product that meets the dictionary definition of environmentally friendly. On the other hand, when we call something sustainable, it means that a single attribute is good for the environment – not necessarily everything about the product. «Environmentally friendly» is also considered a greenwashing term, as it is regularly used in misleading marketing statements (read on to learn more about this topic). You can develop eco-friendly habits that will help you consume less and make the most of what you have. Turn off lights in empty rooms and use a programmable thermostat to only heat or cool your home when it`s occupied (see references 2). Companies can also adopt such practices, in addition to broader initiatives, such as company-wide recycling programs to preserve natural resources and telecommuting for employees, reduce air pollution and fuel consumption by eliminating daily commuting to work. 25.
Recycled Cutting Board: With the eco-friendly cutting board, you can make your home more environmentally friendly. Recycled paper, linen and cork are just some of the materials that make up eco-friendly cutting boards Some people think it takes a lot of time, effort and money to make a home eco-friendly. The truth is that there are many eco-products you can use now that can help you reduce waste and make this planet a better place to live. Organic products are also called environmentally friendly products or green products because they cause minimal harm to people and the environment. 🌎 Use herbal cleansers. «Look for products that contain safer ingredients, such as plant-based cleaners and those that are EPA Safer Choice certified,» says Carolyn Forte, director of the GH Institute`s Appliance and Cleaning Products Laboratory. Although ingredient transparency is not yet required by law, more and more companies (like Seventh Generation) are choosing to list all the ingredients in a product. This encourages companies to use more renewable resources that are better for the environment.
Also, people just want to know what ingredients are in their products and where they come from. 21. Bamboo Desktop Dry-Erase To-Do Board: The Desktop To-Do Board helps you create paperless and rewritable task lists on your desktop. Three by Three Seattle`s Bamboo Desktop Dry-Erase Board products are made from high-quality materials and manufactured to the highest quality standards. First of all, check if the product innocently uses the wrong words to talk about its effects. Does this mean environmentally friendly due to innovations in water or energy consumption? Or is it said is ecological because it just wants good people like you who are trying to do the right thing for the planet to buy the product!? Kloepffer W (2008) Life Cycle Analysis of Product Sustainability. Int J Life Cycle Assess 13:89–94. doi.org/10.1065/lca2008.02.376 In addition to browsing our product reviews, look for products with established third-party emblems such as EcoCert Cosmos for organic cosmetics or fair trade certified ingredients.
Don`t let products with fake emblems and bold claims wash you green: if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Below are the logos you can actually trust. They mean that a certain aspect of the product is environmentally friendly: 19. Eco-friendly chair: You can now get chairs made of recycled cork. This is a great way to stop producing waste while getting a great design that will surely stand out in your home. Organic foods are foods produced using methods without synthetic agricultural inputs, such as synthetic pesticides, chemical fertilizers, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and which are not processed by irradiation, industrial solvents or chemical food additives. [8] Currently, the United States, the European Union, Canada, Japan and many other developed countries require food manufacturers to acquire specific criteria or certifications to market their products as «organic». Apparently, organic food producers attach great importance to the sustainable preservation of socio-ecological attributes such as soil, water and the entire ecosystem. International organizations such as the Organic Consumers Association monitor the development of organic food. According to the National Organic Program (NOP) in the United States, a voluntary green and white seal on food packaging indicates that a product is at least 95% organic.
[9] We are passionate about all things sustainable at the Good Housekeeping Institute: our team regularly evaluates products for the Green Good Housekeeping Seal label, an emblem obtained based on the environmental impact of a particular product, and organizes our annual Raise the Green Bar Sustainability Summit and Sustainable Innovation Awards. In short, we are here to help you decipher ecological claims so that you can make smarter decisions for your household and the environment. Fiksel J. (1995) Design for the environment: creation of eco-efficient products and processes. New York: McGraw-Hill 15 Eco Umbrella: The Eco Brolly Eco Brolly Eco Umbrella is actually just an umbrella skeleton that you need to put on top and cover yourself with everything you have. This will not only make you green, but also creative! EKOenergy is an eco-label originating in Finland.