It's official: the United States Department of Agriculture announced this week that they have developed and approved a seal to be imprinted on any products which are deemed "eco-friendly". Since people are starting to care more and more about making eco-friendly purchases, the USDA decided that the use of the "USDA Certified Biobased Product" label would help make their decisions much easier.
In addition to the official seal, the label will also include a percentage of how much of the product is made from corn, soy, and other renewable resources. Companies will need to meet a minimum requirement of eco-friendly standards in order to receive the benefit of the USDA label.
The USDA eco-friendly label is set to launch this spring, and is already responsible for the endorsement of 20,000 biobased products in the US and over 100,000 "green" jobs. The creation of the label comes as part of the USDA BioPreferred program which was created by the 2002 Farm Bill. As the label gets gradually worked into consumer products, it will be used on all types of items including household cleaners and skincare products.
So what makes the USDA Certified Biobased Product label so important for both businesses and consumers? Well, it does several things. First and most importantly, it creates a protection for consumers that guards against "greenwashing". No longer can businesses advertise their products as being eco-friendly by using deceptive marketing tactics and bait-and-switch schemes.
Without the clearance of the USDA label, businesses can be certain that consumers with an environmental attitude will no longer be purchasing their products. It forces companies that are hedging their bets on "going green" to either make the full effort to use renewable materials, or risk going out of business.
Before the introduction of the new eco-friendly label, the term "eco-friendly" had an arbitrary meaning that some consumers interpreted differently, and other people did not understand at all. Now that the USDA has gotten involved, they have established a uniform system of measuring eco-friendliness that consumers can trust.
Much like the Food and Drug Administration approves foods and medicines for consumption, the USDA will ensure consumers that the product they are purchasing is everything that the company says it is.
The USDA label will also act as a catalyst for the "going green" movement. As the government is setting the bar for the new eco-friendly standard, businesses don't want to get left behind. The label acts as free marketing by any company that has it, with the United States government acting as an official endorsement.
Companies know that regardless of the political overtones in the country, people will always trust their government when it comes to things like the inspection of products and services.
Make sure to be on the lookout for the USDA eco-friendly label once it comes out this spring. By buying products which have the official label, you can take part in perpetuating the "going green" movement and give your money to the companies that deserve it.
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