Eco Certifications - how to understand what they mean

Thanks to everyone that read our latest email.  Essentially I was trying to show how important it is for us as consumers to really consider carefully what we buy.  We need to do this, so that we are all doing ‘our little bit’ to stop the prevalence of plastic.  I also gave some easy ways to start such as remembering to take your reusable bags to the supermarket and carefully reading the packaging and understanding the claims. I also talked about how we are all busy and want convenient solutions.  I also inferred that there are those easy solutions around which I am now going to tell you about.  I certainly don’t advocate for hard or time consuming answers.

But first, let’s look at certifications and use our nil bin liners as an example. 

Certifications what do they really mean? 

1. The first question to consider is do they in fact exist or is it just the brand saying it is certified.
2. Jurisdiction is also another matter to consider. Just because something is certified in EU does not mean it will or is likely to be certified here in NZ.  Unfortunately, due to the size of NZ many of our certifications are tied in with Australia.
3. Term of certification is another matter to consider. Most certifications have a term and more than often it is no longer than 1-2 years.  So look at the dates for expiry.
4. Then the final point about certification is one should consider what it is worth. For example something might be certified to do something but the system behind it has not been established.

As you probably know there is so much confusion in the marketplace around compostables.  Due to the unregulated market there are many brands claiming that something is compostable and it really is not.  Our nil bin liners are not only commercially compostable but are also home compostable.  They are certified in the EU and Australasia with current certifications.  The certifications are  limited by the fact that currently in New Zealand there is no commercial composting facility at our landfills.  So until these systems are established the true nature of the certifications are limited.  But we know that Councils are working on establishing composting facilities and they are coming. Progressive countries in the EU have had a lot of success with systematic composting facilities.

The other point I talked about last time was around making the change easy and convenient.  To have something arrive at your door and to have those things removed from your shopping list can only be helpful.  However the uptake of subscription buying is still very low in New Zealand.  This could be due to the fact that there are not many offerings available or our natural humanness of being a little wary of something new.  But we are going to change this with our amazing new offering.  So please stay with us. We have one more post we want to share with you before we release our nil harm, nil effort solution for you.

Feel free to comment on anything or ask questions. I will endeavor to answer them as soon as I can. Or why not try one of our nil bin liners now. Click here to buy.

Anna B