Pick up any product nowadays, and you’re likely to find messaging related to the environment. Whether it’s a vague claim about being “green” or a certification stamp—Sustainable Forestry Initiative, B-Corp, non-GMO—it seems everything from toothpaste to furniture is making a statement about sustainability. With so many ways to call a product “eco-friendly”, limited regulation and growing consumer desire for responsible consumption, the risk of greenwashing with these kinds of labels runs high.
Can there be a real impact to eco-labelling? How can consumers, businesses and decision makers wade through the many terms and symbols to make the best choice for the planet?
As circular economy and life cycle assessment experts, we always like to clarify terms and information to get a true sense of what something can or can’t do for the environment. That’s challenging here, as not every company or producer is required to give full information about why they use certain labels, and it can be difficult to gauge the validity behind them.
Moreover, there’s the plain fact that just because something has an eco-friendly label, that doesn’t make it truly sustainable. We wrote about this in terms of the recent carbon labelling trend, and here, let’s take the Sustainable Forestry Initiative label that appears on many paper products as an example. With the sheer amount of demand for everyday items like toilet paper or cardboard, some would argue there’s no true “sustainable” way to harvest the volume of trees currently needed to feed supply.
Also, even if one material is sourced sustainably, the whole product might not be. Take a box of store-bought pasta; the cardboard could be sustainably sourced, but other elements like the plastic sheet that allows you to see the product inside is not. Same goes for furniture—while the wood or paper used might be sustainable, the chemicals used to coat the furniture can still be harmful.
Of course, no product is perfect, but this is where environmental labelling can unfortunately become a case of greenwashing. People might select a product based on a genuine desire to do better, only to be taken advantage of by what many companies may see as a trend.
So, what can consumers do? A good rule of thumb is to look for third-party certifications, not just words used as part of product marketing. For example, the United Nations Environment Programme offers a short, helpful description of what eco-labelling is really meant for, including what’s categorized in the International Organization for Standardization.
Ultimately, eco-labelling often falls into the unfortunate category so many of us wrestle with when it comes to the environment, which is that it’s “better than nothing”. But as awareness and education grows across the globe, consumers hold more power than ever before, both in what they buy and what they leave on the shelf.
Originating from Barcelona, Laia’s educational journey led her to pursue secondary studies in the south of France. Her Bachelor’s degree in Economics and International Management allowed her to develop an analytical mindset. During her Master’s in International Business and Management, she engaged in numerous research study cases and actively participated in the creation of different business plans. This helped her develop an ability to critically analyze and address the strategic challenges that companies encounter.
Andre has over 5 years of industry experience in project management, polymer and composite processing, materials characterization, and product development. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the Federal University of Santa Maria, Brazil, and a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Technology from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, where he focused on Polymer and Composite materials. In 2012, he founded a design and manufacturing company specializing in biocomposites made with natural fibers, which he successfully sold in 2015.
As an expert in sustainability, life cycle assessment, circular economy, and green chemistry, Nicolas possesses valuable skills and knowledge that can assist companies in developing and implementing sustainable and environmentally-friendly business models. They can achieve this by utilizing eco-friendly materials, improving manufacturing processes, reducing waste and hazardous chemical use, and advocating for the use of safer and more sustainable alternatives.
Karan is an experienced professional who has worked in multiple geographies and roles along his career. He holds a total of 10+ years of experience in manufacturing operations, and has focused his efforts towards finding solutions for waste recovery and making recovery economical for industries. 
With several years of research experience in France and Canada, Fabien lends his expertise and passion for enzymology and microbiology to 5REDO’s sustainability innovation plans. 
With her significant hands-on experience in developing and characterizing biological and chemical systems, Vicky plays a key role in 5REDO’s efforts toward developing novel products and technologies that offer improved circularity and sustainability to the industry and society. 
As a recent graduate of chemical engineering from the University of Waterloo, Kyle brings his passion for impactful innovation and his experience with novel recycling processes to 5REDO to support our technology development initiatives. 
As our Senior Research Scientist, Hormoz draws on his eight years of industrial and nine years of academic research experience in the areas of polymer science and engineering to develop new solutions for advancing circularity and sustainability.
Shauna is a freelance journalist that covers a wide range of topics, including health, education, the environment, travel, lifestyle trends, and more. She holds a Master of Journalism from Carleton University, and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Global Development from Queen’s University.
By leveraging her expertise in life cycle analysis and process engineering, Ophela helps 5REDO to take a holistic approach to the development of circular solutions and technologies. 
As the co-founder of 5REDO, Forough brings her expertise in supply chain management, business operations, inventory control, and revenue management to support the implementation of circular solutions within different industry sectors.
With a passion for driving change and creating impact, Mahdi co-founded 5REDO to promote circular economy principles in Canada. He’s an alumnus of the 2021 Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s ‘From Linear to Circular Programme.’ Mahdi played a pivotal role in developing and managing the University of British Columbia’s (UBC) Circular Economy Seed Funding program, fostering partnerships between companies and academic researchers to co-create circular solutions.