In a world where sustainability matters more than ever, Hera Trade champions the power of informed consumer choices. We believe in the transformative potential of product environmental information, offering a gateway for consumers to embrace sustainability while rewarding designers for their commitment to eco-conscious materials.
Next time you hold a product in your hands, let its packaging speak volumes about its environmental impact. Hera Trade encourages you to delve beyond the surface, exploring intricate details such as eco labels, recycled content, energy efficiency, and carbon footprint. Our commitment to transparency ensures that every purchase is a step towards a greener future.
Join us on the forefront of change as we witness a surge in eco labels across industries. Hera Trade anticipates a future where sustainability isn’t just a buzzword but a way of life. With initiatives like the Grenelle 2 law and expanding eco labeling schemes, we’re driving a seismic shift towards a more sustainable marketplace.
Choosing sustainable products
The rise of eco labels has implications for everybody, as we are all consumers, but there also specific implications for anybody involved in the design of products and the selection of materials.
At Hera Trade, eco labels aren’t just symbols—they’re beacons of empowerment. We arm consumers with the knowledge to make impactful decisions, steering clear of greenwashing tactics. Our ethos is simple: transparency, integrity, and a commitment to a healthier planet.
Here are a few tips to help you avoid being tricked by green wash and make more sustainable product choices by:
- Having a basic understanding of the lifecycle of products and the impacts products they have on the environment from material extraction through to disposal.
- Look for eco labels that provide credible, science-based environmental information such as the European Union’s Eco Label, the Carbon Trust’s Carbon Label, or the US EPA’s Energy Star label.
- Make use of tools such as GoodGuide which provides an independent assessment of the environmental, social and health impacts of products and is available and a web-browser plug-in and a smartphone app.
Choosing Sustainable Materials
As designers, eco labels and the publication of product environmental data provide an opportunity for you to differentiate your product based on its environmental performance. One way to improve the environmental impact of your product is by choosing more sustainable materials. But as we have already heard in this blog series, there is no such thing as a ‘sustainable material’! So unfortunately there is no catalogue of sustainable materials for you to choose from. What you can do is to try to choose the most sustainable material for your application. I therefore encourage you to focus on the sustainable use of a material for a given application, rather than trying to find a ‘sustainable material’.
For both consumers and designers, the trend towards displaying more information about the environmental impacts of a product should be seen as an opportunity to move towards more sustainable products, a more sustainable use of materials, and a more sustainable future.
—
Post from Hera Trade