Thank you to the many ekko.world traders who have participated in our ongoing Ekko Score trials in 2019. Together with these businesses, we have built the start Ekko Score algorithm and logic with RMIT Computer Science and from here also form part of the machine learning strategy that underpins and will grow with the Ekko Score algorithm.
Ekko Score believes transparency is the key to helping Consumers make better decisions and Traders promote better products. We are scoring firstly at a Certifications / Declaration level and over time, this will become more and more specific as we drop down to ingredients, local wages, specific decomposition levels etc. (More to come on how this will work.)The Body Care Categories scores are the first to display on ekko.world. These will be followed by Food & Drink and Fashion from April 2020.
This means that there is limited opportunity for omissions. Anyone can now easily see if something is made locally, is Palm Oil Free, is organic etc (or not).
Each of these are scored as well. This allows both Traders to promote their own values and for Consumers to shop with theirs. Sometimes it is more important to a Trader to support a community in India for instance, than it is to be Made in Australia.
It is impossible to create a product without having an impact on the environment so it’s impossible to get a perfect 100. That’s why our ‘perfect’ focuses on transparency and uses a Traffic Light system. A score above 50 classifies as eco green for go; between 20 - 49 as orange, definitely worth considering; red is under 20.
All Body Care category products are now subject to scoring in order to appear on ekko.world.
To create the Ekko Score, we needed a framework (logical set), a taxonomy (for identification & hierarchy) and a way of doing the maths (algorithm).The framework for the Ekko Score is the use of certifications – formally certified and self declared. We use certifications because they are a globally recognised, useful, well understood way to describe a product's credentials. The certification framework is common to all products and claims, both formally certified and self declared and both are subject to law, thereby protecting both consumers and traders. The algorithm has been developed by computer scientists who use the advice of environmental subject matter experts to rank and weight certifications to create the score. This is how, by declaring your product's certifications, your product achieves an 'eco footprint score' against each standard and an overall score.
To maximise the score, every potential certification for any product or service must be included. If a self certification applies to you, even if you have never thought to claim it before, it is important that you do so. eg: if your product is Vegan. Even if you are only selling organic oranges, you need to select Vegan - self declared. This is important for both scoring and filtering to maximise your score and so that consumers can find you.
PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL QUESTIONS, INCLUDING THOSE THAT RELATE TO COMPANY PRACTICES MUST BE CONSIDERED ONLY IN RELATION TO THE PRODUCT IN QUESTION.
Every product's manufacture, sale and distribution has an impact. And it is generally that impact that is the basis of different points of view. Some consumers care more about how something was made than where it comes from. Others are more concerned about how it breaks down at end of life. There is also the significant practice of green-washing by omission. While it isn't something that is typical of eco traders, it is something that we will capture when we start to score non eco products. One of the most important aspects of requiring a declaration against all standards for Ekko Score is to be very clear about what is not claimed.
Formal certification frameworks are generally robust, have been developed over a number of years, with substantial precedent. For those who can afford formal certifications, they are an excellent way of heralding a product's credentials. But even for those who can afford formal certification, like Organic, for instance, there are many other declarations that simply do not require formal certification because the product simply doesn't require it. A good example might be a formally certified organic orange. An orange is also vegan, but it is unlikely that an orange grower would bother to gain a formally certified vegan certification. Of course, the orange is still a vegan product and should be given credit for same.At the same time, many eco businesses are micro businesses who simply can't afford formally certified certification. This doesn't make small business any less legitimate than a business who can afford the time and money to get formal certification. Typically, these businesses use the general framework of a formal certification to inform a self declaration in any event.
In yet other cases, some businesses don't agree with all or part of the framework of formal certifications that typically apply to their product and decide not to certify.
We sometimes get asked if we verify a trader's claims about a product's certifications. The ACCC holds sellers responsible for the claims they make about their own products and many people don't realise the ACCC is very clear on a business' obligations in relation to telling the truth and consumer law. Businesses have an obligation not to engage in any conduct that is likely to mislead or deceive consumers. Australian consumer law contains a broad prohibition of misleading and deceptive conduct, which includes both what is said and what is not said. (Silence or omission.)
"MISLEADING CONDUCT CAN INCLUDE SILENCE IF IN ALL THE RELEVANT CIRCUMSTANCES THERE IS AN OBLIGATION TO SAY SOMETHING OR IF A REASONABLE EXPECTATION IS CREATED THAT MATTERS WILL BE DISCLOSED, IF THEY EXIST.
FOR EXAMPLE, PUTTING ‘MADE FROM RECYCLED MATERIAL’ ON A PRODUCT WHEN ONLY A PART OF THE PRODUCT (SUCH AS THE PACKAGING) IS MADE FROM RECYCLED MATERIAL COULD BE MISLEADING BY SILENCE."
If you sell a product, it is your legal responsibility to ensure the claims you make about it are correct, including the representations made to you by manufacturers. 'Compostable' Bamboo toothbrush bristles are an excellent example. There is at least one manufacturer in China who has for years claimed that their bristles are biodegradable Nylon 4 plastic. This is complete rubbish and yet, every few months, we see a new seller of bamboo toothbrushes turn up on ekko.world and make the claim. (In this case, we alert the trader and if they don't remove the claim, we remove them from ekko.world.)
Once we have completed 1,000 product scores in Body Categories, our next goal is to score 10,000 products in other categories within 10 weeks. These will most likely include Food and Fashion. Ekko Score will be a stand alone web app and we are currently working on the wire frames.
Once we have refined the Ekko Score at the Certification and Declaration level, we will begin comparing materials, ingredients and processes to prohibited & toxic chemical lists, other names for palm oil, known chemical processes etc and fine tuning the score. We are also in the process of auto scoring all materials that make up typical packaging - glass, plastics, papers, fabrics etc.
Our longer term intention is to be able to create an Ekko Score for any product, anywhere. This really requires us to be at at least a C2 level and with automated scoring in place. We intend to be at the point by the middle of 2020.
Please Contact Us if you have any questions, feedback or concern in relation to Ekko Score or anything associated with it. We expect some teething issues and really appreciate your feedback and experiences as they will inform both the communications and the algorithm.