Various environmental accreditations exist, at national, EU and international level. Accreditation is a form of governance by an official body that gives authority to a given producer when certain high standards are met. Such accreditation tells us that a given producer is working within given strict parameters to mitigate the impact of the production process on the environment.
Also referred to as “eco-labelling”, such accreditation is a voluntary method of environmental performance certification and labelling that is practised around the world. An ecolabel is a label which identifies overall environmental preference of a product or service within a specific product/service category based on life cycle considerations. In contrast to ‘green’ symbols or claim statements developed by manufacturers and service providers, an ecolabel is awarded by an impartial third-party in relation to certain products or services that are independently determined to meet environmental leadership criteria. See gen.gr.jp for comprehensive listing of EU eco labelling.
Not all goods displayed on this site are accredited. Sometimes accreditation does not exist for a particular material or the producer has no accreditation for a certain product base material (eg the willow of a willow basket). Some producers have nevertheless gone far in addressing environmental impact and adhere to transparent and accountable practices on which they can be evaluated. Where this is the case we have set out their eco-footprint alongside the specific item.
Ecocertecocert.com
Ecocert is an inspection and certification body accredtied to verify the conformity of organic products against the regulations of Europe, Japan and the United States.
It covers organic and natural cosmetics worldwide, performing and inspecting in over 80 countries outside the EU on all continents. The number and variety of certified operations is rapidly growing and includes farms, processing and importing/exporting/trading operations.
Fairtrade Markfairtrade.org.uk
Fair trade means giving producers in developing countries decent working conditions and a decent price for their goods and labour. Some of our suppliers adhere to fair trade principles when conducting business with their producers, but have no formal accreditation in place for the time being. Often, they are working towards implementation in the near future.
The term ‘fair trade’ is, of course, distinct from the ‘Fairtrade Mark’ accreditation. The ‘Fairtrade Mark’ is an independent consumer label which appears on products as an independent guarantee that disadvantaged producers in the developing world are getting a better deal. For a product to display the Fairtrade Mark it must meet international Fairtrade standards. These standards are set by the international certification body Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International (FLO).
Producer organisations that supply Fairtrade Mark products are inspected and certified by FLO. They receive a minimum price that covers the cost of sustainable production and an extra premium that is invested in social or economic development projects.
Forestry Stewardship Councilfsc.org
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) was founded by a diverse group of industry and environmental stakeholders, including the Rainforest Alliance, to develop a consistent, comprehensive and reliable set of third-party certification standards, and to ensure that they are universally recognised. The FSC is an international not-for-profit organisation founded in 1993. Its mandate is to protect the world’s forests through globally recognised principles of responsible forest stewardship.
Central to the certification efforts is a seal of approval that assures customers that the wood and paper products they are purchasing come from forests managed to conserve biodiversity and support local communities. FSC certification covers large forest management companies, small non-industrial landowners, indigenous land-holders, community operations and public lands.
Okotex (also known as Oekotex)oeko-tex.com
Okotex, an eco-label specific to textiles, was founded in 1993 by the Austrian Textile Research Institute. There are 12 Institutes all over Europe together with associate institutes throughout the world which can test textile products and award the labels.
Okotex has two standards: Okotex 100 and Okotex 1000.
Okotex 100 comprehensively addresses the influence of textiles on the consumer of textile products (Human Ecology). It evaluates and screens for any harmful or toxic substances that could potentially cause harm to the consumer and certifies that health-harming chemical substances are eradicated during production. Okotex 100 standard checks for, and places a limit value the following:
pH
Formaldehyde
Heavy metals (As, Pb, Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Ni, Hg)
Pesticides
Chlorinated phenols
Dyestuffs (specific classifications)
Chlorinated organic carriers
Boicidal finishes
Flame retardent finishes
Colour fastness
Emission of volatiles
Odours
(note: this list is not exhaustive)
Okotex 1000 standard is specifically aimed at the evaluation of a production site or of a product and the processing involved in creating that product (Production Ecology). Okotex 1000 standard goes further by assessing the chemical usage and handling, water usage and disposal, exhaust air production, dust and noise generation, energy usage and general workplace conditions. The site must also have an environmental management system in place in order to be compliant.
SKALSKAL is the inspection body for the organic production in the Netherlands, covering vegetable and animal production, feed and food. The scope of Skal activities includes agricultural production, processing of agricultural products, import of products (such as cotton) from outside the EU and trade and storage companies.
For a company who is registered in Holland to use the term organic they must be accredited by Skal and demonstrate that they are producing without the use of GMO’s.
Soil Associationsoilassociation.org
The Soil Association (SA) organic symbol is the UK’s largest and most recognisable trademark covering organic products. It is a guarantee that the product purchased has been produced and processed to strict and rigorous animal welfare and environmental standards. SA standards cover food, health and beauty care and since 2003 also textiles: wool, hemp, linen, cotton, flax, skins and leather products. Although not many textiles are yet available under the SA standards, this is a rapidly expanding area. The SA provide the most comprehensive organic standards in the world for these types of products.
Sustainable Forestry Initiativeaboutsfi.org
The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) programme is an American accreditation scheme. The SFI is a comprehensive system of principles, objectives and performance measures developed by professional foresters, conservationists and scientists, among others that combines the perpetual growing and harvesting of trees with the long-term protection of wildlife, plants, soil and water quality.
There are currently over 150 million acres of forestland in North America enrolled in the Sustainable Forestry Initiative programme. Over one million acres are reforested each year under the SFI programme and under their auspices, accredited companies now plant or grow more trees than are harvested each year.
Eco footprintAn eco (or environmental) footprint is a way of demonstrating and determining environmental impact. The lighter the footprint, the less resources are being used. Not only can we determine the eco footprint of a given product (and here we give an indication of that by setting out each product’s various beneficial and limiting impact on the environment), but so can we measure our own.
Thus, we each have an eco footprint, which can be worked out to a fairly accurate degree by examining how much energy and resources we each use in our life in comparison to the resources nature can provide.
Now calculations can show us how much land and water area is needed to produce all the resources we each consume and to absorb all our waste. The more we use, the bigger our footprint. This is determined by various factors such as what transport we use, what energy we use to heat our homes, even what food we eat.
The problem is that we each take more than we are able to give back. Ideally, we want to reduce our impact – and this is easily done. If each of us were to reduce our footprint just a little, the cumulative effect would be enormous. Likewise, producers who limit their environmental impact through the processes they apply (or decide not to apply) can have substantial and far-reaching results.
This is why we have an Eco footprint ~ label – so you can tell at a glance what limited environmental impact each product has. You can quickly assess the resources used in the choice of material or ingredients, the production process applied, and the form of transport used. If you would like to know more, all you need do is click on the highlighted words which take you to our Eco glossary for further explanation.
Thus, you are able to see what limitation of environmental damage has taken place, which in turn allows you to make an informed choice as to what you wish to purchase. That way, not only do you limit your eco footprint, but you are also supporting producers, suppliers and designers who have actively reduced the eco footprint of their products.
For easy-to-use calculations of the impact we as individuals have on the planet, go to ecologicalfootprint.com and clikck on ‘Estimate your Footprint’. See also ecofoot.org.
FreightAir freight is one of the largest contributors to carbon emissions, amounting to over 600 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, the world’s major greenhouse gas, per year. Moreover, aircraft emissions have twice the effect on global warming than they have near ground level.
For this reason, we avoid using air freight, and ensure alternative forms of transport are put in place. Usually this means by truck, but if goods are coming from further afield we always try to arrange ship freight where possible. At times this can result in delay of delivery, but we feel that this is a small price to pay and we think you will agree.
One day we hope that there will be a company who will provide a more environmentally friendly form of distribution.
