Guide to Green Labelling

Green labelling

In recent years the number of labels appearing on consumer goods, both food and non-food alike, denoting some kind of approval has soared. Many people find the number so overwhelming that they “switch off” and therefore do not gain anything from the schemes. This is unfortunate, as in many instances the symbols do actually denote that the particular product to which they have been applied has reached a certain standard or met a set of criteria which mark it out from its rivals.

Defra (the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) publish some very helpful guidance on their website - "A Shopper’s Guide to Green Labels".

This guide gives pictorial examples of a range of common labels, together with a brief explanation of what they stand for. It also provides links to internet sites giving more details of individual labelling schemes.

Another useful document, also on Defra’s website, is “Pitching Green – green labels and credentials: a guide to the options ”. This actually provides information on a much wider range of labels and schemes than simply “green” ones, covering such things as “Fairtrade” produce and product authenticity or origin schemes.

The U.K. Governnment’s public access website – “Directgov – public services all in one place” also contains useful information on a range of “green” and environmental labelling schemes:

Information about green/environmental labelling schemes

Symbols in common usage

Some other symbols in common usage are detailed below.

Logo	Information
	Go Cruelty Free Sometimes referred to as “The Leaping Bunny Scheme” this logo is promoted by the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV) and is applied to cosmetics and household products that have not been tested on animals. Go Cruelty Free web site
	The Mobius Strip or Loop Often seen on packaging, this label causes perhaps the most confusion of all “green” labels. Some people believe that it means that the packaging has been made from re-cycled material, whilst others believe it indicates that the packaging can be recycled. The symbol is not “owned” by anyone and therefore its use is not subject to copyright. Generally it is taken to mean that the material on which it is marked is recyclable, but some campaigners object to its use in countries where the infrastructure does not exist to carry out the actual recycling.
	Ethical Consumer This logo is applied to products which meet strict criteria on their social and environmental impact, together with the ethical history of the business producing or marketing the product. The logo is owned by Ethical Consumer Magazine, whose researchers rate products and companies against more than 20 animal welfare, human rights and environmental criteria. Ethical Consumer web site
	The Green Dot This symbol can be seen on a wide variety of products, and is actually a trademark which is administered in the UK by Valpak Limited. It does not mean, as many people presume, that the product is recyclable. In many EU member states it indicates that the manufacturer has paid a fee to belong to a waste recycling programme. Valpak licence the use of the green dot, and have drawn up a code of practice to encourage appropriate, non-misleading use. Valpak Limited - Introducing the green dot
	The Lion Mark Administered by the British Egg Industry Council, the Lion Mark has been in use since 1998 to denote that eggs are from hens vaccinated against salmonella, that high standards of hygiene and welfare are practised, and that certain chemicals have not been used in the hens’ feed. The scheme also incorporates a traceability search whereby consumers can trace exactly where their eggs have come from. British Lion Quality British Egg Information Service web site