Certified Product Labels
Looking for the best ecologically- and socially-sustainable products on the market is not always simple, especially with so many items to choose from, and so little information available on products’ origins, the social conditions they were produced in, the resources used for their manufacturing, the size of their carbon footprint, and so forth. Performance labels such as ecolabels and social labels (fair trade) have been developed as a result of growing global concerns for ecological protection and social welfare; indeed, they are easily identifiable and provide information about the relative environmental and social quality of a product or service. In terms of providing reliable information, eco and other labels must follow strict guiding standards and a verification of claims by an impartial third party, which make the product credible with respect to the particular environmental or social claim being made. For this reason, these labels are important insofar as they go beyond mere environmental and other self-declarations by businesses, manufacturers and service providers, and provide a certain performance and quality guarantee.
The following labels are some of the most common and important ones to look for.
Wood and paper products
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is a non-profit organization that promotes the responsible management of the world’s forests. Products carrying the FSC label (wood, furniture, paper) are independently certified to assure consumers that they come from forests that are managed to meet the social, economic and ecological needs of present and future generations.
Energy
The EnerGuide label is a tool that shows how much energy appliances, heating and cooling equipment, as well as new vehicles, consume in a year of normal service. Every appliance will have it, so it is not a label certifying performance, but it is convenient to make energy-efficiency comparisons between various products of the same size and class. The best appliances in their class will have the ENERGY STAR logo. EnerGuide is a Natural Resources Canada initiative.
http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/energuide
Hearth products such as natural gas fireplaces have to meet the proper Canadian standards, and must display the EnerGuide’s Fireplace Efficiency Rating. The most efficient gas hearth products in their category have received the EnerChoice logo. The label is managed by the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association of Canada.
The ENERGY STAR symbol helps identify those products which are some of the most energy efficient available on the market; it complements the EnerGuide initiative. It can be found on products in the following categories: home appliances; heating and cooling equipment; office equipment; consumer electronics; windows and sliding glass doors; lighting equipment; and commercial and industrial products. In Canada, ENERGY STAR is managed by Natural Resources Canada’s Office of Energy Efficiency.
http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/energystar/
Food and Other Products
This Fair Trade Certified logo stands for global social responsibility in international trade. It appears on various brands of coffee, tea, sugar, chocolate, fruit, spices, cereals, roses, wine, cotton garments and sports balls. It indicates that the farmers and workers in other countries are paid a fair price for their work and products.
This label is used on agricultural food products that meet the Organic Products Regulations, a set of recent Canadian regulations that set the standard for organic products. Following the phase-in period ending in December 2008, it is now mandatory that all organic products be certified for interprovincial and international trade. The label will be found on fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy products and meat that contain at least 95% organic ingredients.
http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/orgbio/orgbioe.shtml
Various Goods and Services
The EcoLogo label is found on products in over 120 categories ranging from fuels, cleaning supplies, packaging and office furniture, to building products, consumer products and cleaning products. Launched by the Canadian federal government in 1988, EcoLogo has grown to serve buyers and sellers of environmentally preferable goods and services throughout the United States and Canada, and around the world. It is managed by TerraChoice Environmental Marketing on behalf of the Government of Canada.
Ecocert (Canada) is a control and certification organization that certifies organic products in Canada with its Ecocert label. It is managed by a private corporation based in Quebec, but that operates Canada-wide and is independent from all commercial entities. It works in partnership with Ecocert SA, a control organization that has been working in Europe for over 15 years, and which operates in over 80 countries.
Green Building Certification
The most widely known green building certification standard in North America is known as LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design; it is a green-building certification system that was originally developed by the U.S. Green Building Council that “encourages and accelerates global adoption of sustainable green building and development practices through the creation and implementation of universally understood and accepted tools and performance criteria.” LEED is a third-party, point-based certification system that recognizes performance in building design, construction and maintenance/operation in five key areas: sustainable site development; water efficiency; energy efficiency; materials selection; and indoor environmental quality. There are four levels of certification: certified, silver, gold and platinum. The LEED rating system has been adapted to the Canadian context (climate; regulations; construction practices).
LEED certification is most often undertaken for new buildings and construction projects (LEED for New Construction), but existing Multi-family dwellings can also benefit from LEED certification (LEED for Existing Buildings). The benefits of LEED certification include: recognition of green building efforts; the validation of achievements through a third-party review; the qualification for government incentives beyond what would normally be available; and the contribution to a growing base of knowledge on green buildings. The downside of certification is that it can be costly, as there are registration and certification fees, and perhaps consulting fees if you choose to have someone undertake the certification process on your behalf. If you are interested in entertaining the idea of certification, you can browse through the Canada Green Building Council’s website, which provides detailed information on the step-by-step LEED certification process.
A Multi-Unit Residential Building (multi-family dwelling) Application Guide is also available for purchase.
For more information on LEED, see: