While the concepts of sustainable growth and being environmentally friendly are a recurrent theme of almost each and every political statement, consumers and companies are still not well-informed about eco-labels. The situation is aggravated by the plethora of such labels.|
Estonian companies have positive as well as negative experiences in connection with eco-labels. Estonians are a relatively familiar with the Nordic eco-label, but have no idea as to the requirements of applying for it. On the contrary, Latvians and Lithuanians are better acquainted with the label and manifest greater interest in it. Similarly to Estonia, consumers and companies in North-west Russia are not well-informed about requirements pertaining to eco-labels and not enough Russian-language information is available on the subject. Most companies are convinced that applying for an eco-label is very costly and is just not worth it - just one of the numerous myths that surround eco-labels. Success stories on the use of eco-labels would help to debunk this and other myths. Juhan Peedimaa from printery Ecoprint with the Swan label said that the reason for applying for the label was their customers' demand to prove the quality of their produce. The Nordic Council of Ministers' Office in Estonia introduces the Nordic eco-label at the eco-fair Quality of Life 2010 on 26-28 November in Tartu. All interested parties can obtain more information on green marketing, including the Swan label, at a seminar organised by the Nordic Council of Ministers' Office in Estonia and NGO Ökomeedia on 16 November in the Rotermann Quarter. |
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Survey: companies are not well-informed about eco-labels
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A survey authorised by the Nordic Council of Ministers and conducted by the Swedish Trade Council in the Baltic States and North-west Russia indicates that most companies and consumers have noticed various eco-labels, but they are not familiar with either their meaning or the terms of use. When participants were asked to name an eco-label that first came to their mind, the most frequent answer was the Swan label or the Nordic eco-label (18 times). The FSC label came second (17 times) and the EU flower label third (10 times). |