An eco-label is a label which provides information about the environmental preference of a product to consumers. In contrast to 'green' symbols or claims developed by manufacturers and service providers, an eco-label is awarded by an impartial third-party in relation to certain products or services that are independently determined to meet environmental criteria (The Global Ecolabelling Network).
Eco-labels are designed to assist consumers to purchase those products that are less harmful to the environment without spending too much time and effort in determining which products are actually the least harmful.
Credible eco-labels depend upon third party certification to define the levels of environmental harm that differentiates products within the same category. This practice is different from first party certification, where a manufacturer provides some form of label to promote its own products' environmental record, or secondary party certification, where a trade association puts some form of label on member products that meet certain criteria.
Eco-labelling is used in many countries around the world. There are a number of different types of eco-labels depending on particular criteria. In Australia the most credible eco-labels include:
A joint Australian and State/Territory government program which is recognised as a key initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The mandatory labelling program covers refrigerators, freezers, room air-conditioners, dishwashers, clothes washers and clothes dryers. The program requires that these household appliances display an energy star rating label (1 to 6 stars - 6 is the best). The label allows consumers to make comparisons between appliances of their energy performance and thus purchase more energy efficient appliances. It also provides an incentive for manufacturers to improve the energy performance of appliances.
Major appliances that use water also have a water rating label.
ENERGY STAR is an international standard for energy efficient electronic equipment. It is a joint initiative of the Australian Government, and State and Territory Governments. Energy Star is a voluntary program which applies to office equipment including computers, printers, fax machines, scanners and photocopiers, and home entertainment equipment, such as TVs, VCRs, DVD players and audio equipment.
ENERGY STAR reduces the amount of energy consumed by a product by either automatically switching it into a 'sleep' mode when it's not being used and/or reducing the amount power used when in 'standby' mode. By buying equipment that complies with the ENERGY STAR standard, and making sure its energy saving features are enabled, you can save money on your electricity bills and help the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions
Enabling ENERGY STAR
While most office equipment now has the potential to save energy in this way (i.e. it is ENERGY STAR compliant), not all machines, particularly PCs, have actually been enabled so that the energy saving features are activated. Ask your IT staff to help, or check out our Step-by-step instructions on enabling ENERGY STAR features on computers.
Did you know?
A computer and monitor (without ENERGY STAR enabled) left on for a year generates the same amount of CO 2 as a car travelling from Sydney to Perth.
Printers spend approximately 95% of their time sitting idle.
Fax machines are often left on continuously, but their actual use time amounts to only about 1 hour per day.
Screensavers do not reduce the power consumption of a computer monitor unless they actually turn the monitor off.
The National Water Conservation Rating and Labelling Scheme is administered by the Water Services Association of Australia. The Scheme is designed to assist communities not only to conserve Australia 's potable water supply but also to protect the environment in general as well as reduce costs to consumers.
The National Water Conservation Rating and Labelling Scheme is a type test certification program that awards an appropriate A-rating to water efficient products that comply with all the relevant requirements of Joint Australian/New Zealand Standard AS/NZS6400 Water efficient products – Rating and labelling. The A-rating is indicated on a label which provides consumers with point of sale information on the relative water efficiency of those products.
A satisfactory performance type test report from an appropriate test laboratory must be submitted before any application can be accepted. Products currently covered by the scheme include shower heads, dishwashers, clothes washing machines, urinal operating mechanisms, taps and tap outlets, toilet suites or matched cistern and pan sets, and flow regulators.
Energy labels can be found on gas space heaters and gas water heaters (both storage and instantaneous). Gas energy labels are similar in format to those found on electrical appliances, except they are blue in colour and with annual energy shown in MegaJoules (MJ). The gas labelling program is currently voluntary.
Good Environmental Choice Australia labelling scheme
The Good Environmental Choice (GEC) label is awarded to products which meet specific environmental standards based on life cycle assessment by a third party. This means that the products are assessed according to a range of criteria over the products life. The GEC label is awarded by an independent certification organisation – the Australian Environmental Labelling Association (AELA). The products which have been awarded the GEC label are listed on a database (Green Procurement Database). Products include:
