New version of ISO 14024 on ecolabelling now published

The world’s environmental context has changed dramatically since 1999 when ISO 14024 laid down the first international requirements for ecolabelling – a change that is mirrored by heightened consumer demands. A new updated version of the standard will help meet these expectations.

Ecolabelling found its origins in the growing global concern for environmental protection by government, business and the general public. As companies have come to recognize that environmental concerns may be translated into a market advantage for certain products and services, various environmental declarations, claims and labels have emerged, such as natural, recyclable, eco-friendly, low-energy, recycled content, and so forth.

These have exerted a powerful attraction on consumers looking for ways to reduce environmental impacts through their purchasing choices, but they have also led to some confusion and skepticism. Hence why a new version of ISO 14024, Environmental labels and declarations – Type I environmental labelling – Principles and procedures, was needed to help make sense of it all.

What is a Type 1 environmental labelling programme?

A Type I label is a third-party assessment of a product based on a number of criteria involved in the environmental impact of a product or material throughout its life cycle. The objective of this type of environmental labelling programme is to contribute to a reduction in the environmental impacts associated with products, through the identification of products that meet the specific criteria of a Type I programme for overall environmental preferability.