United States Office of Prevention, Pesticides EPA 742-R-98-009 Environmental Protection and Toxic Substances December 1998 Agency (7409) Environmental Labeling Issues, Policies, and Practices Worldwide Recycled/Recyclable • Printed with Vegetable Based Inks on Recycled Paper (20% Postconsumer) Environmental Labeling Issues, Policies, and Practices Worldwide December 1998 prepared for: Pollution Prevention Division Office of Pollution, Prevention and Toxics U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (7409) 401 M Street, SW Washington, DC 20460 (202) 260-4000 EPA Contract No. 68-W6-0021 Table of Contents Environmental Labeling: Scope of this Report ............................... xii 1. Introduction ............................................................1 2. Environmental Labeling: The US Perspective ..................................5 2.1. Background ......................................................5 2.2. Environmental Labeling in the US .....................................6 3. Definition of Environmental Labeling ........................................9 3.1. Positive Labeling Programs .........................................11 Seal-of-Approval .................................................11 Single-attribute Certification Programs ................................11 3.2. Negative Labeling Programs ........................................12 Hazard/Warning Labels ............................................12 3.3. Neutral Labeling Programs .........................................13 Information Disclosure Programs ....................................13 Report Cards ....................................................13 4. Overview of Labeling Programs Worldwide ..................................15 4.1. Introduction .....................................................15 4.2. Fundamental Information ...........................................15 Program Type ....................................................16 Participation ....................................................18 Label Type ......................................................19 Administration ...................................................21 Financing .......................................................22 Year Founded ....................................................22 Product Categories ...............................................24 Number of Awards ................................................25 4.3. Geographic Representation .........................................26 4.4. Program Methodology .............................................35 Program Goals ...................................................35 Program Methodologies ............................................36 Stakeholder Involvement ...........................................38 4.5. Program Breadth .................................................39 Use of Non-Environmental Attributes .................................39 Use in Procurement ...............................................40 Use Beyond Retail ................................................42 Other Programs/Activities ..........................................44 4.6. Changes to Environmental Labeling Programs ..........................45 Table of Contents i 4.7. Coordination Efforts Among Programs ................................46 4.8. Trade Issues .....................................................48 5. Forces Affecting Environmental Labeling Programs ............................51 5.1. Public/Societal Interests ............................................52 5.2. Consumer Interest ................................................54 5.3. Retailer’s Interests ................................................55 5.4. Producer’s Interests ...............................................55 5.5. Operating Costs and Profit ..........................................56 5.6. Standardization of Environmental Labeling Programs ....................57 5.7. Procurement Programs .............................................57 6. Recent Trends and Future Outlook .........................................59 6.1. The Proliferation and Globalization of Environmental Labeling Programs ....60 6.2. Standardization ..................................................62 6.3. Wedge Issues ....................................................64 Program Goals ...................................................64 Limitations to Standardization .......................................65 6.4. Future Outlook ...................................................66 Appendix A: Overview Table of Environmental Labeling Programs Covered in This Report ................................................... A-1 Appendix B: Summaries of Environmental Labeling Programs Covered in This Report List of Environmental Labeling Programs Covered in This Report .................... B-i Austrian Eco-label ...........................................................B-1 Introduction ..........................................................B-1 Recent Developments ..................................................B-1 Program Summary .....................................................B-1 Program Methodology ..................................................B-2 Other Information .....................................................B-3 References ...........................................................B-3 Product Categories .....................................................B-3 ii Table of Contents Canada's Environmental Choicem Program: the Ecologom ...........................B-5 Introduction ..........................................................B-5 Recent Developments ..................................................B-5 Program Summary .....................................................B-5 Program Methodology ..................................................B-6 Other Information .....................................................B-7 References ...........................................................B-8 Product Categories .....................................................B-9 China's Ecolabeling Program ..................................................B-13 Introduction .........................................................B-13 Program Summary ....................................................B-13 Program Methodology .................................................B-14 References ..........................................................B-15 Product Categories ....................................................B-15 Croatia’s Environmental Label ................................................B-17 Introduction .........................................................B-17 Program Summary ...................................................B-17 References ..........................................................B-18 Product Categories ....................................................B-18 The Czech Ecolabel .........................................................B-21 Introduction .........................................................B-21 Program Summary ....................................................B-21 Program Methodology .................................................B-21 Other Information ....................................................B-22 References ..........................................................B-22 Product Categories ....................................................B-22 The Nordic Council’s Nordic Swan Label ........................................B-23 Introduction .........................................................B-23 Recent Developments .................................................B-23 Program Summary ....................................................B-24 Program Methodology .................................................B-26 Other Information ....................................................B-27 References ..........................................................B-27 Product Categories ....................................................B-28 Table of Contents iii European Union Eco-label Programme ..........................................B-31 Introduction .........................................................B-31 Recent Developments .................................................B-31 Program Summary ....................................................B-33 Program Methodology .................................................B-34 Other Information ....................................................B-37 References ..........................................................B-38 Product Categories ....................................................B-39 France’s NF-environnement Mark ..............................................B-41 Introduction .........................................................B-41 Recent Developments .................................................B-41 Program Summary ....................................................B-42 Program Methodology .................................................B-43 Other information .....................................................B-44 References ..........................................................B-44 Product Categories ....................................................B-45 Germany's Blue Angel .......................................................B-47 Introduction .........................................................B-47 Recent Developments .................................................B-47 Program Summary ....................................................B-48 Program Methodology .................................................B-49