7 May 2018

Environmentally friendly labels often "greenwashing"

From Afternoons, 1:28 pm on 7 May 2018

A new international report says many product labels claiming a product is sustainable or environmentally friendly is simply green-washing, and too often the certifiers are too intertwined with those they police.

The “The False Promise of Certification" was written by the Changing Markets Foundation in Utrecht, the Netherlands.

It comes as the Spinoff revealed that NZ fashion company, World, has been selling garments made in China and Bangladesh with labels saying they are made in New Zealand.

We speak to Malcolm Rands of Ecostore who has long campaigned for stricter labelling laws when it comes to sustainability and environmental claims.  

A stamp from Environmental Choice means a company can substantiate claims it makes to being sustainable, says the organisation.

A stamp from Environmental Choice means a company can substantiate claims it makes to being sustainable, says the organisation. Photo: 123RF