Many of the environmental claims made for products are misleading or even dishonest. This has been termed 'Greenwash'. As a result, the extra paid may do nothing more than increase the 'feel good factor'. Alongside the claims of manufacturers, ecolabels should not be taken at face value unless they are administered by truly impartial authorities. Only one independent label, based on a range of environmental criteria, is awarded in New Zealand.
Accredited products carry the logo shown here.
Telarc New Zealand has details of products which have been labelled, as well as environmental specifications for a wide range of product groups. Overseas labels may also appear on imported products. They can be used to assess whether a product achieves specific requirements. Independently administered examples include the Energy Star from USA and the Blue Angel from Germany. Many other ecolabel programmes from around the world belong to an international association, the Global Ecolabelling Network.