Fwd: Chemical Manufacturer Says Eco-Labels Having Negative Impact on Industry

Beth von Gunten (colibri@west.net)
Mon, 8 Mar 1999 23:56:59 -0700

Fwd from Infoterra via the hormone mimic list:

Chemical Manufacturer Says Eco-Labels Having Negative Impact on Industry
International Environment Reporter 21, no. 23: 1121-1122
11 November 1998

The chemical industry must contribute to the escalating debate regarding
technical criteria used in eco-labels to guarantee that these labels do not
"replace existing regulations covering the chemical sector." Henri Lecouls,
director of the eco-labels and life cycle analysis division at French
chemical industry leader Elf Atochem, asserts that much of the criteria for
eco-labels is based upon arbitrary bans on particular substances. Three ISO
standard= s have been developed for establishing labels. One requires the
use of scientific methodology in establishing environmental quality marks.
The second would "seek to standardize the use of 'self proclaimed'
eco-labels not linked to independent authorities." The third would
"standardize the use of established eco-labels by independent authorities."

Thanks to Tony Tweedale for posting this and many other useful pieces.
His comment:

"Sometimes you can't win for losing--you propose RTK (labelling) as an
alternative to compliance & enforcement or the very existance of regs, and
this is the response..."

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