Should carbon footprint label be mandatory?
Written by: Admin
Source: Flickr
The estimated carbon footprint of a cheeseburger is roughly 4,350 grams greenhouse gases, that is equivalent to driving about 10 miles on an average car (Source: FoxNews). The carbon footprint labeling system is spreading around the world. More and more businesses are embracing the carbon footprint labeling to attract environmentally cautious customers.
According to the Taiwan News, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) of Taiwan is adopting the carbon labeling system of consumption products to reduce greenhouse gases. The move is also expected to help the country avoid any trade opportunity loss amid global trend of greenhouse gas emission reduction. Taiwan’s EPA Deputy Minister Chiu Wen-yen mentioned that Walmart has started asking suppliers to print greenhouse gases information on the product labels. Taiwan plans to begin with PET-bottled beverages, cookies, candies and CDs, on a trial basis before applying to other products.
Japan announced plans to print carbon footprint label in 2008. The trade ministry official Shintaro Ishihara said, “We hope that displaying carbon footprints will raise awareness among consumers as well as companies of their emissions and motivate them to emit less C02,” (Source: AFP).
Europe has already started to print carbon footprint on many products. UK launched world’s first Carbon Reduction Label for textile products in 2009. Some companies in the United States have also started printing carbon footprint labels.
So far, the participation of governments and companies has been on a volunteer basis. Supporters think that the carbon footprint labels will help educate consumers about the impact of product life cycle on the environment. As a result, the consumer demand for more eco friendly products will help in greenhouse gas reduction.
Do you think that the carbon footprint labels will alter your buying decisions? Should governments mandate all companies to print carbon footprint labels?
Post your comments here!
January 23rd, 2010 at 12:37 pm
I am not sure how much printing carbon footprint label on product packaging will help customers to make the right choice based on my personal experience with nutrition fact labels. But I do think it will make manufacturers to be more cautious and indirectly force them to reduce greenhouse gases. If not, competitors can always exploit greenhouse gas information to show that their product is better. So, as long as it does not increase the cost of a product, I would want carbon footprint label on products.
January 24th, 2010 at 10:14 am
I am not sure if United States makes it mandatory to print labels, how much it would help. The reason is, 8 out 10 things I buy come from China. It would be better if the proposed law is on the manufacturers of the products irrespective of their origins of country. But I think it would be very difficult to implement.
February 5th, 2010 at 10:15 am
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February 14th, 2010 at 6:33 am
This is great! I would LOVE if packaging included carbon footprint information – not only for the contents, but for the packaging too!!
This would undoubtedly cause people to start thinking more into the damaging linear process man has built upon a finite planet!
Good stuff, thanks for sharing.