Made by Me - Self Declared is one of the declarations under the Ekko Score Artisan & Professional Standard.
Made by Me can relate to both products and services. Products that are Made by Me are made specifically and only by the trader, with no assistance from anyone else. (eg: they aren't designed by the trader and made somewhere else.) They are made entirely by the trader at their own location. This declaration promises that you can know precisely who made your product and should give some indication of workmanship, particularly when considered with other certifications. Sustainable practices consultants and the personal providers of alternative eco services might also claim this declaration. Typically this might be professional services or health, beauty and cleaning services.
Made by Me is relevant if it is important to you to know the precise providence of a product or service and potentially have direct contact with the maker.
Made by Me - Self Declared sits in the MADE Family, under the Societal Standard: Artisan & Professional of Ekko Score. One set of Ekko Score points are gathered from each Family.
These are the claimable declarations & certifications under the Societal Standard: Artisan & Professional. 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 No Exploitation 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.