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Environmentally friendly, also referred to as nature friendly, is a term used to refer to goods and services considered to inflict minimal harm on the environment.^[1] Due to the fact there is no existing international standard for this term, the International Standards Organization deemed it too vague to be meaningful.^[2]

Contents 1 Labels 1.1 North America 1.2 Europe 1.3 Oceania 1.4 International 2 Methods 2.1 Pest control 2.2 Waste management 3 References 4 External links

Environmentally friendly labels are used across the globe to promote products, however there is no international standard, and many different labels. There are three types of environmental labels. Type I is a label that is only achieved after the approval of a third party, Type II is a self-made claim, and Type III labels give information to the consumer about all products rather than selectively pick products that pass a standard.^[3][4]

In the United States, the phrase is commonly used for advertising or on packaging to promote a sale, but no Federal standard is required to display the labels, and thusly the United States Environmental Protection Agency has deemed them useless in determining whether a product is truly green.^[2]

In Canada one label is that of the Environmental Choice Program.^[5] Created in 1988,^[6] only products approved by the program are allowed to display the label.^[7]

Products located in members of the European Union can use the EU's Eco-label pending the EU's approval.^[8] EMAS is another EU label^[9] that signifies whether an organization management is green as opposed to the product.^[10] Germany also uses the Blue Angel, based on Germany's standards.^[5]

The Energy Rating Label is a Type III label^[11][4] that provides information on "energy service per unit of energy consumption".^[12] It was first created in 1986, but negotiations led to a redesign in 2000.^[13]

Energy Star is a program with a primary goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.^[14] Energy Star has different sections for different nations or areas, including the United States,^[15] the European Union ^[16] and Australia.^[17]

Integrated pest management is regarded as a more environmentally friendly form of pest control than traditional pesticides,^[18][19] as its goal is to reduce pesticide use to a minimum by using a variety of less impactive means, with pesticides only as the last resort. Biological pest control is another form of control considered by many experts to be environmentally friendly.^[20]

Recycling and composting are viewed as more environmentally friendly forms of waste management than traditional burying or burning practices.^[21] The Edmonton Composting Facility in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, in the largest composting facility in the world; representing 35% of Canada's centralized composting capacity.^[22] The $100-million co-composter results in Edmonton recycling 65% of its residential waste.^[22]

• Recycle Now
• Recyclign Guide
• Global Action Plan - Go Green
• Ecofriendly Kids
• ecofriendlytourist.com