Renewable Resource - Self Declared is one of the declarations under the Ekko Score Conservation & Environment Standard.
Renewable Resource - Self Declared says that a product or majority product ingredients are natural resources that can be replaced or replenished in the same or less time than it takes to draw the supply down. An example might be the use of fast growing bamboo instead of a 100 year old rain forest tree. In the case of energy, wind and solar are clean and inexhaustible energy sources.
The importance of the use of renewable resources is their environmental impact, in terms of accessing them in the first place and then their use. In the case of renewable energy, wind and heat (air) are readily accessible, never run out and require less maintenance than traditional generators. In the case of products like paper, which is made from wood, is biodegradable and can cycle back as its own source for renewable energy. As long as wood, the key raw materials used in paper, is grown in sustainable, managed forests, it ensures healthy growth and prevents deforestation.
Renewable Resource - Self Declared sits in the ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSIDERATE Family under two environmental Standards of Ekko Score: Conservation & Environment and Packaging. 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.