The three forms of environmental signs each have their own emphasis. Specifically include:
1. Statement form and life cycle considerations
2. Data confidentiality
3. Logo cost
4. Availability of environmentally labeled products
5. Consumer understanding
6. Credibility
7. Environmental effects
8. Scope of application
They are:
1. Statement form and consideration of life cycle: Type II environmental labeling is a voluntary, multi-criteria based An independent third-party certification program, the criteria are based on the evaluation basis determined by the input and output matrix of each stage of the product life cycle. The authorized entity for this type of mark can be a government organization or a private non-profit organization. Type lII environmental labeling is based on the manufacturer's and retailer's own declarations. It does not require a life cycle assessment, but ensures that "in addition to the correct description of the final product, all relevant factors in the product life cycle must be taken into account to determine whether the process of reducing one impact causes another The possibility of increased impact. "Type III environmental labeling is based on life cycle assessment, using a series of parameters to quantify product information, and lists the main impacts of the product's entire life cycle in a table to facilitate comparison between products. .
2. Data confidentiality Type I environmental labeling. If an independent third party can ensure the confidentiality of detailed product data provided by the company during the certification process when executing the plan, the Type I plan can avoid confidential data. leakage, as it generally involves only the use of trademarks and a qualitative supporting description of the standard. However, the lack of detailed data during the standards development process may prevent the development of Type I markings. Type lII environmental labeling, because the enterprise adopts a self-declaration method, it has complete control over the content of the declaration and the certification materials supporting the content of the declaration, so there is no leakage problem. Type lIII environmental labeling, because it is an information announcement based on product life cycle assessment, must announce quantitative data to the outside world, so it may lead to the leakage of some potentially commercially sensitive information.
3. Labeling cost Type II environmental labeling has higher application and certification costs. In principle, no additional costs will be incurred for type II environmental labeling. Since Type II environmental labeling is relatively simple and usually only involves one or two impacts in the product life cycle, the cost of data collection will not be too high. l Type III environmental labeling, its main cost comes from the cost of life cycle assessment, and the costs related to this depend on: n the choice of life cycle assessment method n the availability of LCA data involved in the product category n the complexity of environmental impact.
4. Availability of environmental labeling products Type I environmental labeling. Due to the selectivity of the Type I label itself and the long time it takes to formulate standards, the coverage of product types is limited, thus affecting the The development of Type I environmental labeling creates obstacles that may cause a shortage in the supply of Type I environmental labeling products. Type II environmental labeling, because it adopts the method of enterprise self-declaration, the development of standards has less restrictions on the declaration, and will basically not affect the availability of Type II environmental labeling products. Type lIII environmental labeling is difficult to evaluate because it is still in its early stages of development. It will change with changes in market structure and industrial layout.
5. Consumers’ understanding of Type I environmental labeling, which meets the simplified requirements of consumers for product environmental performance differentiation standards. It is easy to understand for consumers. Consumers do not need to have extensive professional knowledge, nor do they need to spend a lot of time comparing different types of environmental impacts. Products that have obtained Type I environmental label certification are environmentally superior products, because, in the standard When formulating, it was considered that only 10% to 30% of the products on the market could meet the standards. Therefore, it can be used as a basis for consumers to make quick purchasing choices. The Type II environmental label is designed from a market perspective and is a standard produced to facilitate corporate advertising. Therefore, the Type II environmental label is generally easy to understand when used.
However, if the statement cannot be made in strict accordance with the provisions of the ISO14021 standard, use several vague or unspecific terms prohibited by the standard, such as "environmentally safe", "environmentally friendly", "harmless to the earth", "non-polluting" , "green", "friend of nature", "does not damage the ozone layer", will confuse consumers and may hinder the development of logos. Type lIII environmental labeling takes the form of a life cycle information announcement. For ordinary consumers without professional knowledge, it is difficult to use this information because they cannot make effective judgments on the details of the information. But for professional buyers, it can use the information list to make detailed comparisons between different products in order to make the most informed purchasing plan.
6. Credibility Type II environmental signs must be certified by an independent third party, so the signs have high credibility. Type lII environmental labeling, unless the statement is made by a highly reputable organization, has low credibility, so non-governmental environmental organizations or consumer organizations need to use verification and other methods for supervision and control. l Type III environmental label, which can be announced by the manufacturer itself, or can be operated or designated by an organization. ISO14025 requires that the publication of all type III labels must go through a strict evaluation (in accordance with the requirements of ISO14020) to review the declaration cycle. The validity of the content and format of the evaluation process and life cycle information announcement, therefore, the credibility of Type III environmental labeling depends on the third-party evaluation certificate or license document.
7. Environmental Effect Type I environmental labeling, its influence on the improvement of product environmental performance depends on its own level of market penetration. It serves as a guide for manufacturers to improve their products, promoting improvements in their environmental performance and practicality. However, since the main feature of Type I environmental labeling is that one type of product is equipped with a standard, and since the formulation of the standard considers the degree to which 10% to 30% of the products in the existing market can meet the requirements, if the standard update speed cannot keep up with product replacement, If the speed is too high, it will restrict the overall environmental effect that Type I environmental signs can bring. In addition, the Type I environmental label pays more attention to the environmental effects caused by the use of the product. Type lII environmental labeling, if the content of the statement has a good correlation with the environmental impact caused by the product, and can accurately describe the environmental improvement of the product in this regard, then the environmental effect it brings will be obvious. Because it does not require a class of products to be equipped with a standard, it is not affected by the speed of standard updates. Type II environmental labeling pays more attention to the environmental effects brought about by the product's production process. Type III environmental labeling, if the preset parameters of the product life cycle can cover all relevant environmental impacts of the product, it can play a role in comparison between similar products and improve market competitiveness, then its environmental effects will be more prominent. Type III environmental labeling pays more attention to the environmental effects brought about by the product's production process.
8. Scope of application Type II environmental labeling, due to the high cost and long cycle of formulating supporting standards, is not suitable for consumer goods that are updated quickly and products with short market life, especially not applicable Products whose ingredients and processing methods have a greater impact on the environmental performance of the product; and even if there are ready-made standards, the application process takes a long time and sometimes even exceeds the market life of the product, so it is not suitable for the market Products with a life span of less than two years. Furthermore, it is more applicable to products with environmental impacts that consumers cannot or do not yet understand. Type lII environmental labeling is not limited by product market life and product development cycle, and is applicable to all products, especially products with environmental impacts that consumers are or may be highly concerned about. Type llIII environmental labeling, if the life cycle analysis time is longer than the market life or the development process, it is not applicable to products with short market life and development cycle. Furthermore, its scope of application is not limited by consumers’ ability to understand.