No Toxic Chemicals - Self Declared is one of the declarations under the Ekko Score Organic - Chemical Free Standard.
No Toxic Chemicals - Self Declared means that the product does not contain any chemical (at any reasonable level), which may be harmful to the environment or hazardous to your health if inhaled, eaten or absorbed through the skin and potentially ending up in water systems. Bear in mind that this declaration is not a guarantee that a product does not contain synthetic chemicals which the trader believes to be non toxic.
Products containing chemicals known to be harmful to health and the environment are damaging personally and systemically in the environment. Many of these chemicals are known to influence behaviour; are development, reproductive or neuro=toxins; are known carcinogens; endocrine disruptors; fire retardants; heavy metals; pesticides or herbicides; toxic solvents or harmful VOCs.
No Toxic Chemicals - Self Declared sits in the CHEMICAL & GMO Family under the Environmental Standard: Organic - Chemical Free 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: Organic - Chemical Free . 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 Organic - Chemical Free 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.