Flower Power – H&M are using the EU Eco-Label
by Petz Scholtus, Barcelona, Spain on 01.10.06
Yes we’ve written about Eco-labels quite often and even quite recently . The idea of eco-labelling is to make things clearer for consumers of course, but it is actually quite a confusing subject. All sorts of organisations are setting up their own labelling systems, whether it’s for shoes or fish , and today we’ve just found another one by rather a big organisation – The European Union. Yes apparently the EU have had their own ‘Flower’ eco-label, not to be confused with the Veriflora eco-flower label, stuck to environmentally sound products since 1992. That’s 14 years of EU eco-labelling! There is even an EU Eco-Label Museum in Turin, Italy. So either we are very slow or the EU eco-marketing department just isn’t very good. Anyway the most important thing is that now we know it’s there we can look out for it. As with most things you think you’ve never heard of you will probably be seeing the lovely starry ‘Flower’ label everywhere you go now, from campsites, to lightbulbs, to toilet paper and even in H&M.
Yes the highstreet store H&M was awarded a ‘Flower’ back in August for a range of babies’ clothes. A press release for H&M stated: “H&M wants to make it easier for our customers to choose 'green' products. The Flower is the eco-label that best meets our needs; H&M sells garments in 22 countries in Europe and in North America. Consequently, our aim has been to use a label that is widely recognised. “ Well we’re sorry to say that we didn’t recognise it until now. It seems (trying not to sound too cynical) that these eco-labels, while posing as aids for enviro-conscious consumers, might really just be functioning as marketing tools for retailers. But then who are we to talk about promoting environmental consumerism, the more the better! You can find out more about products which have the EU Eco-label at the ::Green Store.
Thanks to Kate Phillips for the tip!
[Leonora & Petz]
I have information about that EU Eco-label and a picture of it in a schoolbook printed in 2002, so it's been around a while. I've never noticed it in a product either though.