The Carbon Trust's Carbon Reduction Label and the European Commission's Ecolabel are two 'green label' programmes designed to inform consumers about the environmental impact of the products they're considering. The original ecolabel is Germany's Blue Angel, started in 1978.
These days, individual nations as well as regions and retailers are bringing their own green labels into use. The world's largest retailer, Walmart, has been trying to get its scheme going for the past two years, but progress is slow.
Now, according to one database, there are more than 400 ecolabels in use worldwide, with additional labels on the way. More labels may only confuse consumers, especially since each label's rating methodology differs from those of other labels.
Still, despite the current sluggish economy, more consumers are buying green products, research shows that consumers are buying green products. No wonder more marketers want to show off their Earth-friendly initiatives.