Eco-Labels 101
We are constantly working to develop new programs and tools that educate the design community and maximize the efficiency of the design process with regards to sustainability. Over the last year we have been developing an Eco-Materials Nutrition Label framework to evaluate sustainable materials and products that is based on both quantitative data and qualitative information. The goal is to create an industry standard tool to help designers and consumers alike leverage their options with consistent evaluated fields such as Embodied Energy, Contents, System, and Corporate Responsibility. Our tool will not display a seal stating that it meets certain criteria, but rather, it will exhibit valuable information to enable comparison and help you communicate your decisions. The result is a comprehensive framework that exhibits the triple bottom line: ecological, economic, and social sustainability.
Throughout our research we have consulted existing frameworks such as the guidelines defined by the Global Reporting Initiative, various Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) databases such as SimaPro7, and vetted companies exhibiting a stellar performance regarding specific topics such as corporate and social responsibility like Nike and Timberland. This process has led to many observations that we would like to share with you. These observations not only contribute to understanding the conclusions we have drawn for our own communication tool, but they serve as benchmarks for industry progress. We have broken down our research into the first set of important categories: third-party labels and private labels. We extracted an example or two to highlight, and outlined the positives and negatives of each.
PRIVATE COMPANY LABELS
In 2007 Philips Electronics announced a new consumer product label that marks simply that the product is more environmentally friendly and healthier for the consumer. Titled the "Green Logo", this label aids Philips consumers in making decisions about Phillips products. Included in the eco-friendly evaluation, the products must meet certain energy efficiency requirements, and use healthier, more environmentally gentle materials in everything from production of electronics to packaging. The motivation is to enlighten consumer awareness and to differentiate Phillips products from others. Awarded by external auditors, Green Logo products are added to the list of Green Flagship products. On a competitive yet seemingly similar note, Sharp just received an eco-friendly label for their TV's as well. Boasting 40 EU eco-label awards (a third party certification system) and additional international energy-efficiency awards.
As a result, it is easier for Phillips and Sharp consumers to actively make the best, eco-conscious choices about different products within one company's portfolio. The flipside of brand-specific certifications is that when the Green Logo only applies to Phillips products, it becomes difficult for a consumer to make educated decisions. This is a result of standards from different brands being difficult to compare in context. How does one choose between a Green Logo labeled HD TV and an Energy Star rated HD TV? Criteria and motivations for these labels are essentially the same, yet they are competing within the same market as private eco-label brands.
Timberland has initiated a great new labeling system. When you purchase a pair of Timberland boots, a product facts label accompanies them. This label shows the energy used to produce the boots, the percentage of renewable energy in production, the material content, and the systems utilized such as recycled cardboard for packaging. The label has proven to be an extremely successful communication tool, showcasing Timberland's dedication the environment.
THIRD-PARTY LABELS
More effective in creating consumer awareness and information consistency, third-party groups are hired by product-based companies to perform an evaluation on their product. If the product meets the certain criteria set forward, they are awarded the seal or certification. Depending on the labeling company, there may be different levels of certification. An example of this is the widespread European Union Eco-label, The Flower. According to the EUROPA Eco-label website, "it is a voluntary scheme designed to encourage businesses to market products and services that are kinder to the environment and for European consumers - including public and private purchasers - to easily identify them. You can find the Flower throughout the European Union as well as in Norway, Liechtenstein, and Iceland. The European Eco-label is part of a broader strategy aimed at promoting sustainable consumption and production."
In the architecture world, LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) awarded by the USGBC (United States Green Building Council) has become extremely popular. It is a widespread model for evaluating green buildings from new construction to remodels and has significantly advanced the green building market. ?The criticism on such evaluation initiatives is that the building has to meet certain guidelines to obtain points towards their certification. In some cases these guidelines don't always contribute to the full systems thinking that actually makes a building efficient. For example, a building might obtain LEED points for employing solar panels to power the space but the actually space may be an electricity intensive building. An office building may receive points for having a bike rack on the site but the site may be in an at-risk neighborhood in which case workers in the building don't feel safe to bike home at dusk, making the bike rack somewhat obsolete.
Over the last 10 years, the USGBC has progressed the architecture, building and construction industry in innumerable ways. Today, we are in a position to benchmark the foundation LEED and other labeling frameworks have laid for us and progress from there. In conclusion, the next step is a standardized framework that exhibits information and considers life cycle thinking. Stay tuned, we are working on it!