Viewpoints
Viewpoints is a blog in which different writers express their views and opinions on current topics. A new blog post is published about once every four weeks.
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Green choices with the Swan ecolabel
The Swan ecolabel takes a positive approach to encouraging both consumers and purchasing agents make choices that are better for the environment. The Swan ecolabel is awarded to products that are safer to the user, do not contain environmental toxins and cause minimal stress to the environment and the climate.
Sini Sittnikow (right) is Marketing Manager in Ecolabelling - Motiva Services Oy.
The Nordic Swan ecolabel recently had its 20th anniversary. At the time the ecolabel was created, the biggest and most apparent environmental problems were the emissions from chlorine bleaching of pulp and the eutrophication of waterways caused by detergents. The causes of environmental problems were distinguishable and their effects clearly visible.
The first ecolabels appeared in the market when manufacturers wanted to profile themselves as more eco-friendly. It was difficult for consumers to know what the various labels really meant. Therefore, Nordic ministers concerned with consumer issues decided to set up an official ecolabel to be used in all the Nordic countries: the Swan ecolabel.
Today, environmental problems look a bit different from what they were 20 years ago. One of the problems is the huge increase in the use of chemicals in ordinary consumer goods such as building materials, food and cosmetics. Some of the chemicals can be detrimental to the user.
Manufacturing also involves chemicals that do not remain in the product itself but may cause problems, for example, when they end up in the environment with industry effluence. During the past few weeks, many have seen on TV documents about the challenges the pharmaceutical industry has in India.
The effects of individual chemicals are quite well known, thanks to ever-tightening regulations, but there is much less information about the joint effects of various chemicals, the “chemical cocktail”.
Climate change has not gone away, even though it is now somewhat less prominent in public discussion. It still challenges our lifestyle and our habits in using energy. There is plenty of information, but not so much action.
Sometimes, it may be difficult to see the connection between global environmental issues and our daily life. Buying things, driving the car and eating giant prawns is not going to end today or in the near future. That is why we want to help people move towards more sustainable consuming.
The Swan ecolabel wants to take a positive approach to encouraging both consumers and purchasing agents make choices that are better for the environment – products that are safer to the user, do not contain environmental toxins and cause minimal stress to the environment and the climate.
The Swan ecolabel can be found almost everywhere consumers go: in grocery stores, domestic appliance stores, building and home improvement stores and department stores. No one can save the world alone, but everyone can make better choices while shopping. The Swan label makes choosing easier. Every day.
The writer is Marketing Manager in Ecolabelling - Motiva Services Oy. Ecolabelling is the organisation governing the use of the Swan ecolabel in Finland.
