Electronic Ecolabel Certification Programs - Global

STANDARDS/CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS

Ecolabels define a product as adhering to pre-defined criteria. When consumers see ecolabels such as Energy Star® they know the product meets a certain energy efficiency that is deemed to be acceptable by the US EPA. Many types of organizations including governments, nonprofit and for profit organizations and companies producing consumer items have their own ecolabels. If a consumer decides to rely on ecolabels to guide purchasing decisions, they should scrutinize the criteria to be sure it reflects their concerns.

The Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) Database includes standards and guidelines for environmentally-preferable products and services, written by national government agencies and independent third-party organizations from around the world.

There are currently 523 standards in the EPP Database, covering more than 600 product and service categories.

Many types products from paint to paper to computers are evaluated by ecolabeling organizations worldwide. Many countries have ecolabeling schemes that include both desktop and portable computers in their labeled products. The following are the most popular ecolabels and are members of the Global Ecolabeling Network .

Canada, Environmental Choice Program
Products and services certified by the Environmental Choice Program are proven to have less of an impact on the environment because of how they are manufactured, consumed or disposed of. Certification of products and services is based on compliance with stringent environmental criteria that are established in consultation with industry, environmental groups, and independent experts and are based on research into the life-cycle impacts of a product or service.

European Union
The European Union Eco-label Programme is a Europe-wide program that awards eco-labels to products with a reduced environmental impact, in an effort to contribute to sustainable development

Germany "Blue Angel"
The Blue Angel program is a voluntary labeling program. For two decades, the Blue Angel label has signified products with positive environmental features

Norway "Nordic Swan"
The Nordic environmental label is the official ecolabel in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland. The Nordic environmental label is a neutral, independent label which guarantees a certain environmental standard. Only products which satisfy strict environmental requirements on the basis of objective assessments are allowed to display the environmental product label.

Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition did a comparison between the various eco-labels

EPA's Database of Environmental Information for Products and Services

A searchable database of product-specific information (e.g., environmental standards and guidelines or contract language) developed by government programs, both domestic and international, as well as third parties.