A frequent challenge for purchasing organizations is to distinguish more sustainable products from those that are simply not as good. Global World Ecolabel Day aims to increase buyer awareness to help them navigate through the labelling jungle.
Trustworthy ecolabels help you make responsible choices easier and lead to true social and environmental benefits. But there are some things you should be aware of, as Gabriella Mellstrand, Global Marketing and Communication Director at TCO Development, explains.
If you want to procure more sustainably, what are the key things to consider?
To make your procurement more sustainable, you need to consider a number of factors. Firstly, an ecolabel should be designed to address a product’s sustainability impact from a life cycle perspective. Secondly, to decide whether products actually meet set criteria, compliance needs to be verified by an independent organization. Thirdly, choose a trustworthy ecolabel or sustainability certification that does the job for you. This will help save resources, as you don’t have to set criteria or verify compliance yourself, as the system includes relevant and challenging criteria that are verified by independent organizations.
Remember though, regardless of the ecolabel or sustainability certification you choose, the credibility of the system behind is key.
Why should organizations use ecolabels when purchasing sustainable products?
Using an ecolabel with independent verification of criteria is a crucial step towards sustainable development. Without up to date criteria and independent verification of compl