16/01/2024
What is the definition of eco-friendly?
According to Merriam-Webster, the official definition of eco-friendly is: “not environmentally harmful.”
When it comes to products, that means everything from production to packaging needs to be considered safe for the environment. But the FTC has strict guidelines on eco-friendly claims, and here's where it gets tricky: The FTC Green Guides say that in order for a product to be properly labeled as "eco-friendly," the packaging must explain why it is environmentally responsible. Otherwise, based on how consumers actually use the product, it could, in fact, be harmful to the environment.
Truth be told, our environmental experts prefer to use the term "sustainable" rather than "eco-friendly." Why? When it comes to product production, everything has some sort of negative impact on the environment (think: water usage, energy and product waste, etc.), and that means there really aren't any products that fit the dictionary definition of eco-friendly.
On the other hand, when we call something sustainable, it means that a single attribute is good for the environment — not necessarily everything about the product. "Eco-friendly" is also considered a greenwashing term, given that it is regularly used in misleading marketing claims (keep reading for more on that topic).
