It is impossible for shoppers to tell who is behind them and what they mean just by looking at the logos that line the household products stocked on supermarket shelves. In time for Earth Day, Consumers Union launches the first resource of its kind - a free new online site that can help consumers find ways to put their purchasing power to work to make a difference. ConsumerReports.org , is meant to educate, inform and empower. We hope to educate consumers about the environmental impact of household products, inform them about the meaning of the different labels and claims they encounter at the supermarket and empower them to think critically about what they find. Our goal is for shoppers to be able to use this independent source to discern which labels really help the environment and which amount to little more than marketing hype.
Environmental labels fall into various categories.
Some eco-labels are designed to protect rainforests, others aim to protect fisheries, and still others help maintain the health and livelihoods of workers and people who live in communities where the products or their ingredients originate. Not all labels are equal. The Rainforest Alliance is an independent, third-party certifier, meaning the organization is not directly connected to the banana industry. By contrast, General Mills simply makes a donation to The Nature Conservancy, a nonprofit group that focuses on environmental preservation and conservation, to use its leaf logo on Nature Valley Granola Bars. There are no environmental standards that Nature Valley products must meet to use the logo.