As consumer awareness about global warming grows, we are faced with all sorts of labelling to prove the “green” credentials of the products we are being offered. If we don’t want to be conned - and just as important, if we wish to show our customers that we understand and care about the issues involved - we need to be aware of some of the terminology being used. Let’s have a look at these in more detail.

Green and eco-friendly - what do they mean? These are vague terms which by themselves don’t mean anything. Look for more detail!

Natural - this is usually used to denote that chemicals, additives etc have not been added. But as with green and eco-friendly, it’s often used to promote a product when there’s nothing all that special about it.

Recycled or reused - what’s the difference? Recycled means that a manufactured product has been re-made, turning it into something different. Reused means that a product, used once, is then used again when normally it would be thrown away. For instance, if tin cans are collected and used to make ornaments, that’s recycled. If you are given a plastic bag for your shopping, and then take it with you on your next shopping trip, that’s reused. But if plastic bags are collected and melted down to make new shopping bags, they are recycled - some forward-looking supermarkets are starting to do this.

The term recycled is the one we see most. It may not mean a product is completely recycled. Sometimes a product is made from 50% recycled materials (or less) and is still promoted as recycled. This is better than not being recycled at all, but if we are looking for the best, we need to be aware of this.

Again, if we want the very best, we should look for products which are recycled from post-consumer waste. This means they been made from products already used, and then recycled, by the final consumer - from the papers we put in our recycling bins, for instance. Pre-consumer waste means leftovers from the manufactoring process, which are then used instead of being thrown away - offcuts from a printrun, for instance. If you see either of these terms on a product, it almost inevitably means the supplier is genuinely concerned about environmental issues.

Recycleable - this is a totally meaningless term! It usually means a supplier is trying to con you into thinking their products are “environmentally-friendly” when in fact there’s nothing special about them at all. ALL paper is recycleable for instance. It’s a term that’s used a lot in the greetings card industry and it means absolutely nothing - it’s just a sales ploy.

Biodegradable and compostable - more terms we should be wary of. They mean the product will break down naturally. But when? Will it be in 2 years or 500? Legally, you can use these words for either, and suppliers who are trying to jump on the green bandwagon sometimes do so, when there’s nothing special about their product at all. Watch out, for instance, if you’re buying plastic bags from a manufacturer.

It may seem like a minefield, but we all want to sell quality products, and our customers want to feel they can trust us and the products we sell. “Eco” is a trend that is only going to get bigger, and it’s in our interests to be ahead of the game.

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