Perfect Doesn’t Exist.
Except in the case of my fashion sense.

So says the executive director of Earth Pledge in a NY Times article about the eco-fashion industry. Right on.

Rather than feeling guilty about not having a closet full of eco-clothing, we’re better off recognising that a lot of people are looking for ecolabels and it’s not that hard to do. A key statistic in the article notes, “More than half of the 2,007 respondents in a shopper survey in September by BBMG, a branding agency, said they were looking for certification seals on green claims to feel confident about their purchases.”

Life is full of compromises and choices. Like it or not, most of us need clothing and right now most of what’s on the market isn’t top notch eco-friendly. I’m not going to feel guilty about my wardrobe. Looking ahead, it’s going to get easier to find clothes with ecolabels and choose them.

Hopefully, they’ll eventually become the norm, and I can go back to choosing clothes solely on the basis of what is going to impress the ladies. In the meantime, there’s some labels here dedicated solely to textiles (two are Swiss, why are the Swiss always so far ahead? Is it the cheese?), and some others here that cover a whole range of retail goods.

No Comments » | Tags: clothing, retail goods
Posted by Jacob on Thursday, December 13th, 2007 | Permalink |

Dishwasher gets ecolabel
Best alternative to elbow grease.

ASKO’s not very excitingly named D3152XL dishwasher was just awarded the Nordic Swan ecolabel. It is the first dishwasher in the whole wide world with a national ecolabel. This dish washing machine also touts the Energy Star. Plus it looks cool.

ASKO Achieves ‘Swan’ Label for Dishwasher - Industry Updates - Kitchen And Bath Design News

No Comments » | Tags: retail goods
Posted by Jacob on Thursday, December 13th, 2007 | Permalink |

American Furniture to get “Sustainable by Design” Ecolabel
Lovely couch, the green looks a little washed out don't you think?

The American Home Furnishings Alliance (AHFA) has just launched an ecolabel  called “Sustainable by Design” according to the Home Furnishings Business website. Here is the complete press release. The release explains some basic metrics for the label:

- certified wood products (which label is not disclosed).
- lower formaldehyde emissions.
- reduced energy, water, solid waste.
- encouraging a green supply chain.

According to the press release in order to use the label a company needs to define “attainable numeric goals” and report past progress and goals for the coming year annually to the AHFA. There will be a random audit to ensure accurate numbers.

Our take: be wary of this label until more information is available.

- It appears to be an industry developed voluntary label. The extent of public consultation remains unclear. As the companies develop their own targets they could set them very low and not show progress over time. AHFA may plan a set of minimum standards but there is no word about this in the press release.

- AHFA has neither clarified the percentage and timing of the audit nor whether it will be independent.

No Comments » | Tags: consumer, retail goods
Posted by Jacob on Thursday, November 15th, 2007 | Permalink |