Environmental labels

Year Published:  1989
Resource Type:  Article
Cx Number:  CX3663

Abstract: 
A governmental committee is working on implementing a program to label products that qualify as 'environmentally friendly'. The program follows the West German Blue Angel label, started in 1978. The idea is to let consumers know which products are not harmful -- or less harmful -- to the environment. The committee acknowledges that it is difficult to find products that unequivocally qualify. It has decided that the whole production process has to be taken into account, concluding that it would be inappropriate to recognize products as environmentally sensitive if the manufacturer is causing problems upstream. Julia Langer of Friends of the Earth questioned the value of the new logos, saying that "we're already seeing companies that are marketing supposedly better products using their own logos. But the public has no idea how much better they are." She says that people must realize that less consumption is ultimately more desirable than switching brands.