Identifying products that are environmentally and socially sustainable has become increasingly difficult. There are more than 200 so-called eco-labels in the EU market. Few are transparent, have regularly updated and demanding criteria, or cover the products’ entire lifecycle. Many also lack independent verification of criteria compliance, which is needed for a label to be credible. The uncontrolled spread of eco-labels goes against the purpose of guiding buyers to better choices and pushing for sustainable development.
