Green Labels Getting Mandatory, New Report Says

Proposed amendments to the European Packaging directive, the new waste electronics directives, and new mercury laws passed in U.S. states will make package labeling more complex, according to a new report "Green Labeling: Global Guide for Marketers in the New Millennium" from Raymond Communications, College Park Md.

The report finds, for example:

Proposed amendments to the European Directive on Packaging & Packaging Waste would make the material coding mandatory for all packaging.

The new European electronics waste directives will require new labeling on electronics for recycling. The latest October draft adds more requirements.

Companies that cannot take the European Green Dot off their package for Canada may have to pay license fees to an Ontario trade association.

New mercury restrictions passed in five U.S. states will require disclosures mercury-added products, though where it is required will vary between the states.

New international standards, and European Union rules require all wood packaging to be treated and marked because of problems with insect infestations.

Japan and Taiwan require completely different material/recycling symbols on certain packages.

The report also covers green labeling guidelines for the U.S. and compares them to ISO and ASTM definitions.

"Only English-speaking countries seem to even have clear green labeling guidelines, and only the U.S. and perhaps the U.K. have ever tried to enforce such guidelines," says publisher Michele Raymond. While fraudulent claims are rare in the U.S., they may continue in other countries.

The report finds that ecolabeling programs, such as the German Blue Angel and the Nordic Swan will never "harmonize" with each other because of cultural differences.

American industry has shied away from ecolabels because the criteria can become obsolete quickly, and may not reward innovation. However, many European and Asian countries see them as a tool of soft policy. While use of an ecolabel will not help sell products in America, an appropriate in-country label can be helpful for marketing in the "green" countries such as Germany, Austria, and the Nordic countries.

The report covers mandatory labeling in the U.S., Europe, and Asia, as well as term definitions (such as use of the term "recyclable"), and summarizes ecolabel programs globally. It provides analysis of some of the more complex issues, such as use of the Green Dot, and when and where green labels make sense.

The report is available from Raymond Communications, publisher of State Recycling Laws Update and Recycling Laws International. Price: $190; discounts for subscribers.