Our Guide to Green Labels

Eco-friendliness is a major selling point for any product these days. In fact, you've probably noticed all kinds of green logos, labels and certification claims cropping up on products ranging from TVs to washing machines. Even though the very notion of green consumer electronics is essentially a contradiction in terms, little by little, green logos and ecolabels have started cropping up in the sector. The resulting confusion is reminiscent of the chaotic over-abundance of organic food logos that sprung out of nowhere a few years ago. In other words, consumers are lost and confused by the vast range of logos that mean absolutely nothing to those who haven't done their homework. It's a logo minefield. Whereas some official government schemes involve strict testing, and other private certification schemes are based on third-party approval, many logos are simply a form of self-accreditation, the value of which depends entirely on the manufacturer's commitment and integrity. At their worst, self-designed logos can simply be a meaningless attempt to 'greenwash' a product with tenuous environmental claims. So how can you tell which labels are genuine and which aren't worth the ink they're printed with? Hopefully this guide will go some way to helping you choose products more wisely.

Who hasn't been won over at some point by a flashy logo supposedly guaranteeing you the best of the best, the fastest of the fast or the latest cutting-edge technology? Whether for commercial or environmental purposes, the 'informative' logo is a complicated kettle of fish. Although they're supposed to provide customers with information that will help them make a decision, their lack of credibility and actual significance can, in fact, end up misleading customers in the sole aim of selling more products. The world of consumer electronics isn't without its own minefield of logos, and on closer inspection, it seems that very few of these stickers and labels actually mean much at all.

Very little information is available about the traceability of electronic devices, let alone their carbon footprints. Even as a journalist researching the topic, manufacturers were only able to give hazy answers that skimmed over the subject. Consumers therefore have no choice but to look out for ecolabels. However, official logos based on European and international directives and strict accreditation schemes tend to concentrate on a product's energy efficiency. Although this will help you do your bit for the environment while also saving money on your electricity bill, many schemes still don't look beyond power consumption. Plus, with very little information available on a product's lifecycle, carbon footprint or the conditions of production, we're still a long way off total transparency.

Self-certification

Some brands have been particularly keen to jump on the green bandwagon and try to create a greener company image. Following the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) regulations that green claims should be 'clear, accurate, relevant and verifiable', manufacturers have been hard at work devising their own little green logos to catch our attention.

LG, for example, has an 'environmental self-declaration' scheme. The company website proudly states: '[ ...] We developed our own eco-mark symbol and established environmental standards which reflected domestic and overseas environmental regulations as well as customers' needs for eco-friendly products. [ ... ] We award LGE Eco-mark to products that have been selected for environmental information disclosure as a part of our green marketing strategy. Our ecomark is a visual symbol of a product's environmental friendliness.'


Whereas over at Philips, the 'Green Tick' logo shows that products 'have been certified by external auditors that they are more than 10% more efficient than other products on the market within a given product category.'

Sony also introduced its own A/B/C/D energy efficiency labelling system for its 2010 range of TVs, although this has now been abandoned (see insert).

Even though such labels are as much intended to boost sales as to genuinely help consumers pick environmentally sound products, it's still a step in the right direction in the absence of any official and mandatory European labelling scheme.

What about the energy label?

The energy labels that have been compulsory on white goods for several years now are still not mandatory for brown goods (consumer electronics). This instantly recognisable A-to-G classification system has proved a real success, as research shows the majority of people will pick an A-rated fridge, for example, when faced with the choice, thus picking a product that consumes less energy and emits less CO₂. So why hasn't the system been rolled out to brown goods too? Florence Clément from the French Environment Agency (ADEME) told us: 'This classification system still hasn't been implemented; it's taking a long time, notably because it's a Europe-wide certification scheme'. In fact, EU member states will have to agree on a set of common criteria to assess the environmental characteristics of technology that's both cutting-edge and constantly evolving. No wonder it's taking them a while!


While we're waiting for the member states to agree on a certification system that's clear, simple and transparent, you can still pick out products that offer a basic minimum in environmental standards just by taking a closer look at the packaging. All it takes is a bit of motivation, commitment and curiosity, but it's worth it in the long run. See our overview of European and international standards below to find out what you should look out for.

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The EU Flower Label

This is a label you won't see handed out lightly. Created by the European Commission in 1992, this ecolabel applies to computers, notebooks and televisions. To obtain this official label, the manufacturer's product must comply with a set of strict criteria, covering the product's entire lifecycle and all the associated environmental impacts at each stage of its life. Among other things, compliant devices must be easy to dismantle to facilitate recycling, and the availability of electronic spare parts must be guaranteed for seven years following the date production ceases. Production factories are subject to audit too, and products carrying this label must also contain fewer harmful substances. As yet, this is the strictest and most thorough ecolabel, which also makes it the most difficult to obtain.

Plus: it evaluates the overall greenness of a product rather than just its energy efficiency.
Minus: too few manufacturers put their products forward for accreditation.


Energy Star

This American label was adopted by the European Commission in 2003. It's a voluntary scheme that applies to office equipment, and it's probably the logo you'll see the most often on TVs, monitors, printers, scanners, etc. The Energy Star label guarantees that accredited products have a reduced power consumption, with tests carried out on standby, when active and at full power. The scheme also checks the effectiveness of electronic power supplies. The compliance criteria were tightened in 2007, meaning fewer products now carry the Energy Star logo.

Plus: many big-brand products comply with the standards set out by this label.
Minus: only the product's power consumption is assessed and it doesn't consider all the phases of a product's lifecycle.


This Swedish label is awarded to computers, monitors, keyboards, and mobiles that comply with certain criteria for energy efficiency, the use of heavy metals, as well as sound and electromagnetic emission levels. Products must also meet strict criteria concerning the emission of dangerous substances during product manufacturing and recycling.

Plus: a good, although not comprehensive range of criteria.
Minus: this logo features on the product information sheet rather than the packaging / few products are accredited with TCO.

UL Gold

This is a private but very strict label awarded after extensive testing by the UL Environment institute. This organisation tests products' energy efficiency for compliance with certification schemes like Energy Star. It puts manufacturers' green claims to the test, compares tech specs against actual performances, and checks not only the type of materials used in a product but also their origin. It even assesses the recyclability of a product's packaging. It's a similar approach to that used in Greenpeace's annual green electronics rankings, as production lines and all the factories and premises involved in the manufacture of each product requesting UL Gold certification come under scrutiny. Manufacturers have to put their products forward for this certification scheme, which is more often seen in the media than on products themselves due to the strictness of its qualification criteria.

Plus: certification is difficult to obtain as it covers a wide range of criteria and with strict tests.
Minus: manufacturers have to put products forward voluntarily.

Blue Angel

This German label was the first environmental certification system to apply to electronic products and was launched back in 1977. Blue Angel accreditation is given to thousands of products worldwide, in particular IT products. This scheme is largely consumer oriented, and studies the environmental impact of a product, its lifecycle and its disposal. Energy consumption, as well as sound and chemical emissions are studied too. The logo helps consumers identify products that are good value for money and greener choices. HP, Dell and Samsung are all part of the Blue Angel programme.

Plus: takes into account many official and internal standards with the consumer always in mind.
Minus: too heavily focused on IT products.


There is no national ecolabel scheme in the UK. Some environmental labelling schemes requiring independent third party certification do operate in the UK but these tend to apply to a specific type of product (e.g. food or timber), or to the environmental impacts concerning one product type.


More information
Defra's Shopper's Guide to Green Labels is a free guide illustrating the main labelling schemes and logos on products in the UK.