Yes, friends… once again I’m working on understanding labels and knowing exactly what they mean (or in many cases, DON’T mean!).
I’ve talked about pesticide-free & chlorine-free, non-toxic labeling, fragrance-free vs. unscented, PLU produce labels and certified-organic vs. organic ingredients.
Now I have a few more that you should know about: “Green”, “Renewable” and “Certified Organic”. (Have a guess about which ones actually mean something?)
Well, it appears that “Certified Organic” is the only trustworthy label in this group. Certified Organic is strictly defined and regulated by the USDA. “Green” and “Renewable”, on the other hand, mean NOTHING! They are undefined and, once again, completely unregulated.
Like some of the other terms I mentioned, any manufacturer can place these words on their label to give you peace of mind about what you’re purchasing. And ONCE AGAIN they can do it, just because the terms aren’t regulated. That doesn’t mean that ALL products that use these terms aren’t legitimate, but the problems is that it’s sometimes difficult to really know.
There’s so much greenwashing happening… the best thing to do is to only select products that have legitimate, regulated terms associated with them. Otherwise, like that box of chocolates, ‘you never know what you’re gonna get’!
So, it’s time again to break out that notepad, just to keep it straight since, sadly, we can’t always believe what the labels are attempting to tell us.