Role of ecolabeling in reducing ecotoxicology

- Use of ecolabelling as a mechanism to minimize ecotoxicity is highlighted.
- An overview of the ecolabeling schemes of selected countries is presented.
- Survey assesses the awareness of ecolabels among the retailers and traders.
- Recommendations to improve the use of ecolabeled products are proposed.

Ecolabeling helps consumers to select environment friendly products, while meeting high demands on occupational health, safety, and usability. Ecolabeling undertakes cradle-to-grave approach which helps in minimizing the toxicological impacts at every stage of the product life cycle. The ecolabeling procedure calls for substitution or reduction of hazardous substances thereby reducing the toxicity caused due to these chemicals. China, Japan, Australia, European Union, and Nordic countries are leading in the race of awareness and implementation of ecolabeling schemes. In India, the ecolabeling scheme (Ecomark) was initiated in 1991. The Ecomark scheme lacked adoption of the green marketing principles and thus failed to create an impact. This study presents an overview of ecolabels in European Union, Nordic countries, Germany, China and India. Furthermore, it assesses the awareness of ecolabels among the retailers and traders of environment friendly products in India through a survey. The study highlights that the ecolabels are a success in most of the countries studied and are applied across a range of industrial sectors. The survey is administered to 80 retailers and traders of stores selling environment friendly products across different Indian cities. A correlation is established with the variables identified. The survey results indicate that although the retailers and traders of environment friendly products have low awareness of the ecolabels on environment friendly products, they are taking considerable efforts to promote and deliver environment friendly products to consumers. Large-scale awareness drives initiated by the Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change permeating at grass root levels with the involvement of stakeholders could prove beneficial for promotion of the ecolabeling schemes.