Things to think of
Labelling
What do you do when you want to know where a product comes from, how it was made, or whether the workers were properly paid? You look at the label! Here we explain what labels companies are allowed to use, and give you some tips for logos to look for.
The country of origin may appear on some products but not on similar products by other manufacturers. This is because there is no legal requirement for companies to indicate where their products are made. There are some exceptions (for example, some food products are required by law to show the country of origin), but generally the decision on whether or not to put the country of origin on a product is one for the manufacturer to decide.
Some products are regularly marked with the country in which they are produced. Scotland has a reputation for producing high quality whisky and as such, most producers of Scotch whisky will mark their products 'Made in Scotland'. Steel produced in Sheffield has a reputation of being a high quality material, therefore the 'Sheffield steel' mark can be found on cutlery and other steel products where the manufacturer believes that quality is a major factor in consumers’ choice of product.
There are a number of industry schemes in operation that have marks of origin at their heart. The ‘British Turkey Quality Mark’ and the ‘Laid in Britain’ mark (for egg producers) are two examples from the food sector. These schemes are also optional, so again, some products may show the mark and others may not.
The Trade Descriptions Act makes it a criminal offence for a trader to put a misleading trade description on his goods and that includes false or misleading statements about where something was made.
Ethical and fairtrade labelling
‘Ethical trading’ means that companies are trying to ensure that the basic labour rights of the employees of their third world suppliers are respected. It refers to companies rather than products.
‘Fairtrade’ goods mean that producers are paid a decent price that at least covers the true cost of production, despite fluctuations in world commodity prices.
There is an Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) that aims to identify and promote ethical trade. It tries to make sure that the working conditions of workers producing foods for the UK market meet or exceed international standards.
The ETI focuses on learning, rather than on certification or labelling, and exists to share experience.
Fairtrade labelling
Products carrying the Fairtrade mark meet standards set by an international body called Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International. This mark guarantees that the product conforms to fairtrade standards and contributes to the development of disadvantaged producers.
Other forms of ‘green’ labelling
If you are concerned about the environment, you may want to look for products that are less ecologically damaging. But not all green claims are what they appear to be.
Don’t be fooled by terms such as ‘green’ or ‘eco-friendly’ if companies do not explain what they mean by these terms. Also, just because something is produced in green ink or uses pictures of trees and flowers, it doesn’t mean that the product is necessarily kinder to the environment.
The best explanations are those that make specific claims, such as ‘Contains 70% recycled paper’.
The European Ecolabel is a voluntary green label scheme run by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in the UK. Set up by the European Commission in 1992, the scheme is designed to encourage businesses to develop products that are less harmful to the environment, and at the same time helping consumers identify them. The scheme applies to 23 different types of product, from TVs and textiles to detergents and paints.
What you can do as a consumer
- If you want to buy fairtrade goods, look for the fairtrade mark. Without it, there is no guarantee that the producers have been given a fair deal.
- If you are interested in green shopping, avoid buying over-packaged goods that lead to the production of more waste.
- Try to buy goods packaged in materials that can be recycled, such as glass rather than plastic.
- Any producer making a ‘green’ claim should be happy to explain it, so you can always write to them and ask
