http://www.care2.com/greenliving/green-pulled-over-your-eyes.html
Green Pulled Over Your Eyes?
Adapted from It's Easy Being Green, by Crissy Trask (Gibbs Smith, Publisher, 2006).
We can bring breathtaking change by putting our green living beliefs behind our dollars as consumers. To do this we need to know that what we are buying is truly green. Here is an oh-so-sobering list of words often found of labels. Which words are regulated? Which words aren’t and are open to false claims, called greenwashing? Print out this list of marketing catch words, carry it with you when you shop, and buy true green:
WORDS ON LABELS
Defined and Regulated
Green Seal
Animal Care Certified (eggs)**
Dolphin-safe
Free Farmed (dairy products, eggs, poultry, meat)
Organic — Certified
NutriClean
Transitional (farm)
Green-e (re: energy/power)
Totally Chlorine-Free-Certified
Sustainable Forestry-Certified
Energy Star Rated
Wildcrafted or Wildharvested-Certified
Defined and Unregulated
Biodegradeable
Recyclable
Recycled
Cage Free
GMO Free or GE Free
No Antibiotics Used or Raised Without Antibiotics
Natural (meat and poultry)
CFC Free
Ozone Safe or Ozone Friendly
Recycled
CFC Free (personal-care products)
Low Emissions Vehicles
Undefined and Unregulated
Green
Natural
No Hormones Administered
Pesticide Free, No Pesticide Residue
rBGH Free or rBST Free (dairy)
Clean (re: energy/power)
Green ((re: energy/power)
Renewable (re: energy/power)
Chemical Free
Chlorine Free
No or Low VOCs
Nontoxic
Phosphate Free
Tree Free
Energy Efficient
Refurbished or Remanufactured
Recyclable
Fluoride Free
Recycled
Wildcrafted or Wildharvested -Uncertified
Fuel Efficient
Composite
Attribute
Reclaimed or recovered
Reusable
Used
Solar Powered
Biodiesel
Electric
Fuel Cell Powered
Hybrid
Reclaimed, Recovered or Salvaged
Pending
Free Range, Free Roaming or Pasture Raised (beef, pork)
Grass Fed
No Hormones Administered (beef)
LCD (Appliances, Home Electronics and Lighting)
Alert:
**Beware of “Animal Care Certified.” This label is sponsored by the United Egg Producers, who allow hens to be caged in an area smaller than a sheet of copy paper for their entire lives.
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21 comments
add your comment »Hey, E.C., the "wildcrafted or wild harvested" under the "Defined and Regulated" column is certified while the one in the other's NOT. Hope that helps.
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This a good attempt,but confusing, i.e. the "Wildcrafted, etc." label appears in the defined/regulated list and also the defined/unregulated list. There are other items like this, so I don't find this very helpful.
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Thank you.
Are 'Attributes' all 'Undefined and Unregulated'.
Using my Office programme, I alphabetsed each list: this makes it easier to read and consult:
WORDS ON LABELS
Defined and Regulated
Animal Care Certified (eggs)**
Dolphin-safe
Energy Star Rated
Free Farmed (dairy products, eggs, poultry, meat)
Green Seal
Green-e (re: energy/power)
NutriClean
Organic — Certified
Sustainable Forestry-Certified
Totally Chlorine-Free-Certified
Transitional (farm)
Wildcrafted or Wildharvested-Certified
Defined and Unregulated
Biodegradeable
Cage Free
CFC Free
CFC Free (personal-care products)
GMO Free or GE Free
Low Emissions Vehicles
Natural (meat and poultry)
No Antibiotics Used or Raised Without Antibiotics
Ozone Safe or Ozone Friendly
Recyclable
Recycled
Recycled
Undefined and Unregulated
Chemical Free
Chlorine Free
Clean (re: energy/power)
Composite
Energy Efficient
Fluoride Free
Fuel Efficient
Green
Green ((re: energy/power)
Natural
No Hormones Administered
No or Low VOCs
Nontoxic
Pesticide Free, No Pesticide Residue
Phosphate Free
rBGH Free or rBST Free (dairy)
Recyclable
Recycled
Refurbished or Remanufactured
Renewable (re: energy/power)
Tree Free
Wildcrafted or Wildharvested -Uncertified
Attribute
Biodiesel
Electric
Fuel Cell Powered
Hybrid
Reclaimed or recovered
Reclaimed, Recovered or Salvaged
Reusable
Solar Powered
Used
Pending
Free Range, Free Roaming or Pasture Raised (beef, pork)
Grass Fed
LCD
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Those labels wouldn't work in the UK. We have the soil association, the v sign for vegetarian etc. Can't remember the ones for organic.
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Great information!
Thank you!
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great list makes it easier to know thank you
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Thank you for the list. It would be nice to know that you could trust manufacturers to honestly tell you you about their product. I hope that happens soon.
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This is great information we all can use to help educate one another about in 'greenwashing'. I was at a conferenc on Certified Organic products ast month and the director told us that some companies claim to have certified organics in their products when all they did was dip an organic tea bag or herb tea in the water used for the product! Definitely learn to read the labels. If anyone is truly interested in Certified Organic skincare, etc, 100% beneficial, cold processed, email me and I will be happy to oblige!
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Thank you for this list-I have printed it and will carry it with me! Too bad there are so many unscrupulous marketers out there that consumers are so confused they sometimes give up. This is really a service and I thank you.
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It can all be so confusing...why can't the government make sure the companies are standing by what they say, and also make the labels more layman friendly? And if anyone puts something misleading on the labels, make sure they know there will be stiff penalties to pay.
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