Symbols provide the same information to everyone without language barriers. Using symbols allows for smaller, more comfortable care labels. Smaller labels also cost less and this could translate into consumer savings. The symbols are easy to under-stand with just five basic symbols. For manufacturers care symbols make even more sense.
Smaller labels cost less to buy or manu-facture and also cost less to inventory.
The ASTM care symbols are free of trademark and user fees. The ASTM symbol system is unique in that it includes a symbol for Non-chlorine Bleach , eliminating the need for this most common instruction in three languages. The ASTM symbol system approved by the FTC was designed to meet the requirements of the U.S. Care Label Rule. The current European system does not provide symbols for all the information required by the Federal Care Label Rule. U.S. represen-tatives are meeting with ISO to add the necessary symbols to their system to harmonize the international standard with the ASTM standard.