Environmentally friendly

Environmentally friendly, also referred to as nature friendly, is a term used to refer to goods and services considered to inflict minimal harm on the environment.^[1] Due to the fact there is no existing international standard for this term, the International Standards Organization deemed it too vague to be meaningful.^[2]

Additional recommended knowledge

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Labels

Environmentally friendly labels are used across the globe to promote products, however there is no international standard, and many different labels. There are three types of environmental labels. Type I is a label that is only achieved after the approval of a third party, Type II is a self-made claim, and Type III labels give information to the consumer about all products rather than selectively pick products that pass a standard.^[3][4]

North America

In the United States, the phrase is commonly used for advertising or on packaging to promote a sale, but no Federal standard is required to display the labels, and thusly the United States Environmental Protection Agency has deemed them useless in determining whether a product is truly green.^[2]

In Canada one label is that of the Environmental Choice Program.^[5] Created in 1988,^[6] only products approved by the program are allowed to display the label.^[7]

Europe

Products located in members of the European Union can use the EU's Eco-label pending the EU's approval.^[8] EMAS is another EU label^[9] that signifies whether an organization management is green as opposed to the product.^[10] Germany also uses the Blue Angel, based on Germany's standards.^[5]

Oceania

The Energy Rating Label is a Type III label^[11][4] that provides information on "energy service per unit of energy consumption".^[12] It was first created in 1986, but negotiations led to a redesign in 2000.^[13]

International

Energy Star is a program with a primary goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.^[14] Energy Star has different sections for different nations or areas, including the United States,^[15] the European Union ^[16] and Australia.^[17]

Methods

Pest control

Integrated pest management is regarded as a more environmentally friendly form of pest control than traditional pesticides,^[18][19] as its goal is to reduce pesticide use to a minimum by using a variety of less impactive means, with pesticides only as the last resort. Biological pest control is another form of control considered by many experts to be environmentally friendly.^[20]

Waste management

Recycling and composting are viewed as more environmentally friendly forms of waste management than traditional burying or burning practices.^[21] The Edmonton Composting Facility in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, in the largest composting facility in the world; representing 35% of Canada's centralized composting capacity.^[22] The $100-million co-composter results in Edmonton recycling 65% of its residential waste.^[22]

References

schools can also help by putting notices up to encourage children