DEFRA has just published Green Claims Guidance to combat greenwash by advising companies to make sure claims are clear, accurate and relevant. But how far can any claims really help us compare products’ environmental impacts?
Picture this. You’re in a supermarket buying your weekly groceries. You pick up two tins of tuna. You want the cheapest, check the price tag. The healthiest, the nutrition label. Least environmental impacts? Hmmm.
Do you go with the one that is dolphin friendly, the one certified by the Marine Stewardship Council or the one that’s locally sourced? All valid claims... Maybe this just requires too much thought for the tinned food aisle.
Consumers and corporate buyers are faced with an ever growing number and variety of green claims as businesses seek to tap into the market for more environmental products.
We’re used to seeing energy efficiency ratings on lightbulbs, white goods – even planes. Tesco’s orange juice will tell you its carbon footprint. And there are a whole host of other ecolabels out there, from carbon neutral and chlorine free to LEAF, LEED and Leaping Bunny.
With all these different claims and labels, how do you see the wood for the FSC-certified trees?
A lifecycle assessment (LCA) is the best way to get a full picture of a product’s environmental impacts. But not many people have the time, the inclination or the information they need to do this every time they buy something new.
This is where an environmental product declaration (EPD) comes in. EPDs are designed to cut through green claims by offering credible environmental credentials for a product, based on a third-party verified LCA.
Context client InterfaceFLOR believes EPDs will become the standard in future and has already begun to publish EPDs for many carpet tile lines.
Perhaps a while before we see this in the supermarket, but could EPDs get us a step closer to full product transparency for B2Bs at least?
Enter the debate on Full Product Transparency.
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