Upcycled Product - Self Declared is one of the declarations under the Ekko Score Recycle Standard.
Upcycling refers to the process of converting waste products and materials into new useful (usually complete) items that are of a higher quality than the item they were initially made from.
Upcycled products not only create new products without requiring new materials, but they also reduce waste and greenhouse gas emissions, lessen the burden on recycle streams and landfill, while saving natural resources. Upcycling also preserves the heritage of the contributing components that would been abandoned, gives us a window to our past and a greater appreciation of the value of things, at the same time as reducing consumerism.
Upcycled Product - Self Declared sits in the REUSED Family under two environmental Standards of Ekko Score: Recycle and Packaging. One set of weighted Ekko Score points are gathered from each Family.
These are the claimable declarations & certifications under the Environmental Standard: Recycle. 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.