{"id":255,"date":"2019-03-11T10:09:49","date_gmt":"2019-03-11T10:09:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/esp12.epgpbooks.inflibnet.ac.in\/?post_type=chapter&p=255"},"modified":"2019-04-24T11:06:16","modified_gmt":"2019-04-24T11:06:16","slug":"environmental-labeling-and-concept-of-eco-marks","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/ebooks.inflibnet.ac.in\/esp12\/chapter\/environmental-labeling-and-concept-of-eco-marks\/","title":{"rendered":"Environmental labeling and concept of Eco-marks"},"content":{"raw":"
\"epgp<\/a>\r\n<\/span><\/div>\r\n
\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n1.\u00a0Introduction<\/strong>\r\n\r\n1.1 Concept of eco-labeling scheme<\/strong>\r\n\r\n1.2 Indian eco-marks<\/strong>\r\n\r\n1.3 Eco-marks products<\/strong>\r\n\r\n2.\u00a0Criteria for Eco-mark<\/strong>\r\n\r\n2.1 Evaluation criteria<\/strong>\r\n\r\n2.2 Benefits of Eco-mark<\/strong>\r\n\r\n2.3 The reason to failure of eco-mark scheme<\/strong>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n1.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Introduction<\/strong>\r\n\r\n \r\n

Eco-mark is an eco-labeling scheme to identify environment friendly products. The Eco-mark scheme recognizes a product prepared by environment friendly process, or used and disposed in a way that significantly reduces the harm on environment. The Eco-mark logo is depicted as in Fig 1.<\/p>\r\n \r\n

The Ministry of Environment and Forests, Govt. of India has constituted a scheme in 1991 on labeling of environment friendly products, even before the India participated in Rio Summit, 1992. It is administered by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), which also administrates the Indian Standards Institute (ISI) mark quality label, required for any product to gain the Eco-mark label.<\/p>\r\n \r\n

The scheme provide labeling and accreditation for domestic, household and other consumer products that meets certain environmental criteria along with the quality requirements of Indian standards for that product.<\/p>\r\n\"\"\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n1.1.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Concept of Eco-labeling Scheme<\/strong>\r\n\r\n \r\n

The concept of eco-labeling aims to encourage environment friendly commodities in the market. Agenda 21 recommended governments to promote environmental labeling in order to change consumption patterns and conserve the environment for sustainable development (UNCED, 1992). Eco-labeling was first introduced in Germany in 1978. Now, most of the developed countries and some developing countries including India have established eco-labeling programme. European Union (EU) implemented voluntary eco-labeling programme within member countries in 1992. The summery of eco-mark programme of different countries is given in Table 1.<\/p>\r\n \r\n

Table 1: Worldwide Implementation of Eco-mark programme<\/strong><\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Country<\/strong><\/td>\r\nName of Programme<\/strong><\/td>\r\nYear Started<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Germany<\/td>\r\nBlue angel<\/td>\r\n1978<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Canada<\/td>\r\nEnvironmental Choice<\/td>\r\n1988<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Japan<\/td>\r\nEcomark<\/td>\r\n1989<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Nordic Countries<\/td>\r\nWhite Swan<\/td>\r\n1989<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
New Zealand<\/td>\r\nEnvironmental Choice<\/td>\r\n1990<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Sweden<\/td>\r\nGood Environmental Choice<\/td>\r\n1990<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
United States<\/td>\r\nGreen Seal<\/td>\r\n1990<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Austria<\/td>\r\nAustrian Eco-label<\/td>\r\n1991<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
India<\/td>\r\nEcomark<\/td>\r\n1991<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
European Union<\/td>\r\nEuropean Flower<\/td>\r\n1992<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
France<\/td>\r\nNF-Environment<\/td>\r\n1992<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
South Korea<\/td>\r\nEcomark<\/td>\r\n1992<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Singapore<\/td>\r\nGreen Label<\/td>\r\n1992<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
The Netherlands<\/td>\r\nStichting Milieukeur<\/td>\r\n1992<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Croatia<\/td>\r\nEnvironmentally Friendly<\/td>\r\n1993<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
<\/td>\r\nSource: www.google.com & Singh et al 2012<\/em><\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n \r\n\r\nThe specific objectives of the scheme are as follow (Eco-mark notification 1991):<\/strong>\r\n\r\n \r\n

i. <\/strong>To provide an incentive for manufacturers and importers to reduce adverse environmental impact of products.<\/p>\r\n \r\n

ii.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>To reward genuine initiatives by companies to reduce adverse environmental impact of their products.<\/p>\r\n\u00a0<\/strong>\r\n

iii.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>To assist consumers to become environmentally responsible in their daily lives by\u00a0providing information to take account of environmental factors in their purchase decisions.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

\r\n\r\n \r\n

iv.\u00a0 <\/strong>To encourage citizens to purchase products which have less harmful environmental impacts.<\/p>\r\n\u00a0<\/strong>\r\n

v.\u00a0 <\/strong>Ultimately to improve the quality of the environment and to encourage the sustainable management of resources.<\/p>\r\n \r\n

Eco-mark is a government operated seal of approval program for environment friendly consumer products. The Eco-mark label aims to do welfare for consumer goods that fulfill the specified environmental criteria as well as quality requirements of Indian Standards. The logo of some other countries is given below (Table 2):<\/p>\r\n\"\"\r\n\r\n\"\"\r\n\r\n\"\"\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n1.2<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0Indian Eco-mark<\/strong>\r\n\r\n \r\n

To increase consumer awareness, Government of India had launched the eco-labeling scheme `Eco-mark'. The scheme recognized 16 categories of consumer products for the purpose of development of eco-criteria and labeling. So far, criteria for 14 categories of product have been finally notified by the Government. Ministry has also launched publicity campaigns for disseminating necessary awareness among the consumers and manufacturers. Due to lack of the adequate response from the manufacturers, this scheme could not become popular.<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n1.3<\/strong>\u00a0Eco-mark Products<\/strong>\r\n\r\n \r\n

The MoEF have identified 16 product categories (Table 3) to be covered under the scheme of Eco-mark. The products are:<\/p>\r\n\"\"\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nAdministrative and Organizational Structure or Operational Structure (Three committees)<\/strong>\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nThere are three stages for the award of \"ECO-MARK\": (Eco-mark notification 1991)\r\n\r\n \r\n

a)\u00a0Steering Committee <\/strong>- A steering committee, set up by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, to determine the product categories for coverage under the scheme and also formulate strategies for promotion, implementation, future development and improvements in the working of the scheme.<\/p>\r\n \r\n

b)\u00a0Technical Committee <\/strong>- A technical committee, set up by the Central Pollution Control Board, to identify the specific product to be selected and the individual criteria to be adopted, including, wherever possible, inter-se priority between the criteria if there are more than one products.<\/p>\r\n \r\n

c)\u00a0Bureau of Indian Standards <\/strong>- The Bureau of Indian Standards to assess and certify the products and draw up a contract with the manufacturers, allowing the use of the label, on the payment of fees.<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\nIn Details about mentioned three committees<\/strong>\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\na. Steering Committee<\/strong>\r\n\r\n \r\n

The Government of India has set up a Committee in the Ministry of Environment and Forests and notified on March 6, 1991 (Table 4). The Ministry of Environment and Forests determines the categories of the products for coverage under the scheme and also formulate strategies for promotion by creating mass awareness, implementation, future development and improvement in working of the scheme. This Committee ensures involvement of other ministries, industries, associations\u2019 non- governmental organizations and also, responsible for notifying final criteria in the Gazette of India.<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n\"\"\r\n

\"\"Besides mentioned members, Central Government nominates not more than five non-officials to represent the interests of industry, consumer groups or other NGOs of which at least two will represent consumer groups.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nFunctions of the Steering Committee<\/strong>\r\n