{"id":33101,"date":"2025-01-03T16:24:39","date_gmt":"2025-01-03T21:24:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mitchellcenter\/?page_id=33101"},"modified":"2025-01-03T16:24:39","modified_gmt":"2025-01-03T21:24:39","slug":"sustainability-product-labels","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mitchellcenter\/sustainability-resources\/sustainability-product-labels\/","title":{"rendered":"Sustainability Product Labels"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"MeSH<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

There are hundreds of sustainability labels for food, clothing, building materials, cosmetics, and thousands of other products. These labels can mean different things such as that the product was produced with sustainably sourced materials, consideration to environmental and animal welfare, ethical treatment of laborers throughout the supply chain, and much more. These labels are usually created and managed by nonprofits, governments, or less often, companies. Certain labels can apply to specific types of product (such as produce which is organic) or a much broader category (such as packaging created from recycled material). Specific labels may apply only to goods created in a single country, any goods created with certain sustainable practices, or goods produced sustainably within certain industries or a single company. The Ecolabel Index<\/a> is an online catalog of hundreds of ecolabels which are used in the U.S. and internationally. It has information about what each label means, who manages it, and how to find more information. If you want to shop sustainably, checking for labels is an easy way to start.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are hundreds of different labels out there, so figuring out what means what can be overwhelming, but there are many resources to help you effectively navigate the marketplace with a sustainable mindset. This page lists many of the most common sustainability product labels in the U.S. along with a short description of what they actually mean and a link to more information. Many of the websites for the organizations which manage these labels have lists of their certified products, as well as where and how to purchase them. Many of these certifications require that companies, producers, and traders regularly recertify, comply with independent audits, or regular checks to confirm compliance with that certification\u2019s standards.<\/p>\n\n\n