labels

section

Earth
glossary
What’s the difference between all those eco-conscious certifications?
We’ve got the green scoop right here.
by paul aguirre and cassandra padmore

You might often see tiny labels on products telling you that it’s organic,
fair trade or eco-friendly. These marks of certifications are quickly
becoming the gold star to have in any industry, usually meaning that
companies have gone that extra mile to make sure what you buy is
ethical or good for the environment. So check out the most common
labels that many appear on your beauty, home and food items.
Food
SPCA
British Columbia’s Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA)
has developed a food labelling system
for humanely-raised meat and poultry
products. Strict standards have been
put in place to ensure that cheese, eggs and meat support animal
welfare. These standards include no battery cages for egg-laying
hens and access to pasture and/or an outdoor
paddock for dairy cows.
TransFair Canada
This is a national non-profit certification and public
education organization that promotes fair trade-
certified products; these products include coffee,
flour, rice and tea. Most fair-trade products are
monitored by independent third-party agencies,
which audit all requests and deem them suitable.
This is so that companies don’t confuse the public by freely using
the mark.
What does “fair trade” mean?
According to TransFair, fair trade means that people are
paid a fair wage suitable to the job performed and they’re
assured proper working conditions and hours. Above all, it
means employers are treating their workers with respect
and adhering to local labour laws.

USDA Organic
This is most often found on fruit, meat and
Above & Beyond dairy, but is now being endorsed by beauty
The Home Depot ensures that each brands. This label can mean one of three things:
product from its Eco Options line is that the product is 100 percent organic; the
extremely green. How? By asking product contains 95 percent organic ingredients; or it’s made with
suppliers to provide documentation organic ingredients. When you see this seal, you know the product is
for energy conservation, reduced at least 95 percent organic.
toxicity and such. The store is
hoping to phase out energy- home
inefficient incandescent light bulbs
by 2011 with the help of in-store Green Seal
compact fluorescent bulb (CFL) Probably one of the most well-known certifications, this standard
recycling boxes. ensures that paint, laundry-care products and bathroom and glass

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 cleaners are safe. The organization uses a life-cycle
approach, meaning it evaluates a product or service
beginning with material extraction, continuing
with manufacturing and use, and ends with
recycling and disposal.
ECOCERT
This is an independent organization that
inspects textiles, as well as food and
cosmetics, in more than 80 countries. In
What is Earth Day?
fact, ECOCERT educates consumers when
it comes to a variety of fibre labels. For Earth Day is one of the most celebrated
environmental events in the world. This
instance, they will state exhaustive composition details and the
international event first began in 1970 and inspired
exact percentage of organic fibres used.
the US Congress to pass clean air and water acts.
It also encouraged the Environmental Protection
personal care
Agency to research and monitor environmental
Leaping Bunny Program issues and enforce environmental laws.

This fun bunny logo has a very serious message. It is the only In Canada alone, Earth Day has grown into Earth
internationally-recognized certification Week and Earth Month to accommodate countless
that identifies when animals have not been events and projects. They range from large public
tested on and it’s usually accompanied by the events, including Edmonton’s Earth Day Festival
words “not tested on animals.” Companies at Hawrelak Park (just by itself this event attracts
approximately 30,000 participants a year).
who join the program must not only agree
not to conduct or endorse animal testing,
but also be open to audits throughout their supply chains.
Natural Products Seal
Started by the Natural Products Association in the U.S., this
certification has four cornerstones to help protect consumers
and inform them of what’s in their personal care products. These
guidelines include: the products must be made up of at least 95
percent natural ingredients; contain no Turning Point
ingredients that can be harmful to humans;
Twenty years ago, Susie
utilize pure processes that don’t compromise Hewson was watching
ingredient composition; and contain a T V program about
ingredients that come from a renewable dioxin’s impact on the
source like mineral. environment. Then she
realized something: the
NSF
show failed to discuss
Recently launched in February 2009, NSF what we could do to help.
International announced that if you see its logo “They weren’t going to fix
along with the phrase “Made with Organic it, so I thought ‘I’m going
Personal Care Products,” rest assured that to fix it,’” she declared. susie hewson
the product has at least 70 percent organic So Susie started the eco-
contents. Also, many experts have come friendly feminine hygiene brand Natracare. “We want
on board to ensure safety — it was developed based on balanced to give women at least the understanding of [harmful]
participation from many pros including organic personal care materials on their health,” says Susie. Clearly, this
manufacturers, trade associations and regulators. innovator has been recognized for her outstanding
action. Last year, she was winner of the 2008 Women in
Ethical Business Awards (WEBA) for not only focusing on
*See Viva’s Earth Terminology on page chemical ingredients, but also the rights and health of
127 to increase your environment IQ. workers and fair pricing.

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