Environmentally friendly

Environmentally friendly (also eco-friendly, nature friendly, and green) are terms used to refer to goods and services, laws, guidelines and policies claimed to inflict minimal or no harm on the environment.^[1] Companies sometimes use these terms to promote goods and services by making environmental marketing claims and with eco-labels.

Because there is no accepted definition nor international standard for this concept, the International Organization for Standardization considers such labels too vague to be meaningful.^[2]

Regional variants

Europe

A sewage treatment plant that uses environmentally friendly solar energy, located at Santuari de Lluc monastery.

Products located in members of the European Union can use the EU's Eco-label pending the EU's approval.^[3] EMAS is another EU label^[4] that signifies whether an organization management is green as opposed to the product.^[5] Germany also uses the Blue Angel, based on Germany's standards.^[6]

North America

In the United States, environmental marketing claims require caution. Ambiguous titles such as environmentally friendly can be confusing without a specific definition; some regulators are providing guidance.^[7]

The United States Environmental Protection Agency has deemed this language useless in determining whether a product is truly "green".^[2]

In Canada, one label is that of the Environmental Choice Program.^[6] Created in 1988,^[8] only products approved by the program are allowed to display the label.^[9]

Oceania

The Energy Rating Label is a Type III label^[10][11] that provides information on "energy service per unit of energy consumption".^[12] It was first created in 1986, but negotiations led to a redesign in 2000.^[13]

International

Energy Star is a program with a primary goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.^[14] Energy Star has different sections for different nations or areas, including the United States,^[15] the European Union ^[16] and Australia.^[17] The program, which was founded in the United States, also exists in Canada, Japan, New Zealand, and Taiwan.^[18]

See also

Environment portal

• Design for Environment
• Environmental Choice Program
• Environmental enterprise
• Environmentalism
• Environmental movement
• Environmental organizations
• Environmental protection
• Green brands
• Greener festivals
• Greenwashing
• List of environmental issues
• List of environmental organizations
• List of environmental topics
• Natural capital
• Natural environment
• Natural resource
• Nature

References

1. ^ "nature-friendly". Webster's New Millennium Dictionary of English, Preview Edition (v 0.9.7). Lexico Publishing Group, LLC.. 
2. ^ ^{a b} "Labels -environmentally friendly". ecolabels. http://www.greenerchoices.org/eco-labels/eco-home.cfm?redirect=1. Retrieved 2007-07-09. 
3. ^ "Welcome to the European Union Eco-label Homepage". EUROPA. http://ec.europa.eu/environment/ecolabel/index_en.htm. Retrieved 2007-07-10. 
4. ^ "EMAS". EUROPA. http://ec.europa.eu/environment/emas/index_en.htm. Retrieved 2007-07-10. 
5. ^ "Minutes" (PDF). EUEB Coordination and Cooperation Management Group. http://ec.europa.eu/environment/ecolabel/pdf/meetings/draftmin0905.pdf. Retrieved 2007-07-10. 
6. ^ ^{a b} "Environmental Labels Type I". Ricoh. http://www.ricoh.com/environment/label/type1/index.html#hun_eco. Retrieved 2007-07-10. 
7. ^ "Environmental Claims". Federal Trade Commission. 2008-11-17. http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/grnrule/guides980427.htm. Retrieved 17 November 2008. 
8. ^ "About the Program". EcoLogo. Archived from the original on 2007-06-18. http://web.archive.org/web/20070618224105/http://www.environmentalchoice.com/English/ECP+Footer/About+the+Program. Retrieved 2007-07-10. 
9. ^ "Environmental Choice (Canada)". Environment Canada. Archived from the original on 2007-11-25. http://web.archive.org/web/20071125105653/http://www.ns.ec.gc.ca/g7/eco-can.html. Retrieved 2007-07-10. 
10. ^ "Overview of Regulatory Requirements - Labelling and MEPS". Energy Rating Label. http://www.energyrating.gov.au/man1.html. Retrieved 2007-07-10. 
11. ^ Arnaud Bizard, Brett Lee, Karen Puterrman (PDF). AWARE and Environmental Labeling Programs: One Step Closer to a Sustainable Economy. ME 589. http://www.cmu.edu/me/ddl/AWARE/AWARE-Labeling-Report-ME589-2004.pdf. Retrieved 2007-07-10. 
12. ^ "Overview of how are star ratings calculated?". Energy Rating Label. http://www.energyrating.gov.au/star.html. Retrieved 2007-07-10. 
13. ^ "The Energy Label". Energy Rating Label. http://www.energyrating.gov.au/con3.html. Retrieved 2007-07-10. 
14. ^ "About Energy Star". Energy Star. http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=about.ab_index. Retrieved 2007-07-10. 
15. ^ "United States Energy Star Home Page". Energy Star. http://www.energystar.gov/. Retrieved 2007-07-10. 
16. ^ "EU Energy Star Home Page". Energy Star. http://www.eu-energystar.org/. Retrieved 2007-07-10. 
17. ^ "Australia Energy Star Home Page". Energy Star. http://www.energystar.gov.au/. Retrieved 2007-07-10. 
18. ^ "Who’s Working With ENERGY STAR? International Partners". Energy Star. http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=partners.intl_implementation. Retrieved 2009-02-03.