Environmentally Beneficial - Self Declared is one of the declarations under the Ekko Score Conservation & Environment Standard.
Environmentally Beneficial - Self Declared refers to products or services whose use and application add more to the environment than they take, resulting in a positive environmental footprint. An example might be the use of products or majority of product components made from recycled materials without chemical processing.
Environmentally Beneficial - Self Declared supports the demand for environmentally and socially responsible goods. This declaration confirms that the trader has considered the environmental impact of his product at every stage: sourcing, use and residual after the product has been consumed.
Environmentally Beneficial - Self Declared sits in the ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSIDERATE Family under the Environmental Standard: Conservation & Environment of Ekko Score. One set of weighted Ekko Score points are gathered from each Family.
These are the claimable declarations & certifications under the Environmental Standard: Conservation & Environment. Please note that different certifications and declarations may be relevant to each category.
Yes, where the impact of the claim is similar. This is how it works.
IMPORTANTLY, SELF DECLARATIONS ARE GOVERNED BY CONSUMER LAW. IT IS AGAINST THE LAW FOR BUSINESSES TO MAKE FALSE CLAIMS (INCLUDING IMPLIED CLAIMS IN A CONTEXT LIKE EKKO SCORE).
EVEN IF A PRODUCT HAS A FORMAL CERTIFICATION, THAT CERTIFICATION DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE ENTIRE INTEGRITY OF THE PRODUCT'S MAKE UP.
An example might be a Handmade, Australian, Certified Organic chocolate that contains Palm Oil. Under Ekko Score, this product would claim Certified Organic and would self declare: Zero Waste Production and Australian made, but could not claim the No Palm Oil declaration. This would mean a lower score under the Conservation & Environment Standard, making the inclusion of Palm Oil clear to potential consumers, without detracting from its other assets.
No product is perfect, but some products are definitely better than others. Ekko Score allows you to make the best decision you can, or to put it another way, the least worst decision. And to make that decision with the confidence of not being green washed. Find out more about how Ekko Score works.