One of the current trends in society revolves around the idea of sustainability. Consumers are showing more and more favour towards companies that show signs of sustainability in their products and design. I must admit that when I am faced with the choice of two similar products, I will almost always choose the brand that appears to be more sustainable. However, I have come to realize that there are so many different types of labels and certifications that are stamped onto the products that it is very difficult to know what all of them mean. With over a thousand different types of labels and certifications, It is nearly impossible to distinguish which products are truly more eco-friendly.

This article outlines more about the different types of labels and certifications that exist and provides examples to fully demonstrate just how much of a range there is between them. While the article includes both a relevant certification and not-so-useful certification, I was mostly fascinated with the not-so-useful certification. The article uses a product that is “CFC-free” as an example of a not-so-useful certification. It goes on to explain that while an absence of CFC (chlorofluorocarbons), a contributor to ozone layer depletion, makes the product more eco-friendly, it carefully avoids the fact that CFC has been “banned for decades”. I found this example extremely fascinating because it is something that I have personally come across when purchasing products. Often times labels contain acronyms for complex chemicals and compounds that the average consumer has not heard of before. As a result, consumers are unable to make informed decisions about the products that they are purchasing. Thus, I believe it is important for consumers to pay careful attention to the labels and educate themselves in order to purchase products that are truly sustainable.

Source: http://rendezvous.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/17/whats-in-a-label-not-necessarily-sustainability/