How to Read Labels

While the FDA requires a truthful listing of all ingredients. There are no standards for the most common marketing phrases.

Biodegradable: means a substance breaks down eventually. Similarly, an “organic” shampoo may mean that it contains traces of an organic extract, and “hypoallergenic” simply means that the manufacturer believes it to be so. ” ‘Natural’ doesn’t mean much. Look for specific claim such as “petroleum free.”

This cheat sheet will help you read “green” marketing labels (including ours) with a savvy eye.

These terms have no legal definition:

• Natural
• Hypoallergenic
• Cruelty Free
• Non-toxic
• Non-Comedogenic
• Fragrance-Free
• Biodegradable
• Organic
• Fair Labor/ Sweatshop-Free

These are labels have specific standards and independent certification programs:

USDA Certified Organic Foods and cotton carrying this label must be produced without antibiotics, hormones, genetic engineering, radiation or synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. The label requires certification by independent, government-accredited organizations. Organic certification in the personal care industry is a bit more complicated. See Organic Labeling for Personal Care Products.

Fair Trade, administered in this country by the nonprofit group TransFair USA, ensures that a minimum price or living wage has been paid to farmers and laborers. At the same time, some businesses, perhaps desiring to cash in on TransFair’s success, have begun selling products marked “fairly traded” or something similar. Such labels may or may not be backed by independent certifiers, and must be analyzed on a case-by-case basis.

These labels have specific legal definitions but may not mean what you think:

Recycled: The item contains recovered materials. Recovered materials include both pre-consumer and post-consumer wastes. Unless the entire product is recycled the percent of recycled material should be indicated. However, the type of recycled material or the portion of post-consumer content is not required to be listed.

Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) Content: Preferred to pre-consumer content because it keeps more waste out of landfills. Seek the highest percentage of PCR content.

Totally Chlorine Free (TCF) or Processed-Chlorine Free (PCF): Bleached with safer compounds like hydrogen peroxide, TCF paper does not contain recycled fiber. PCF paper is similarly processed, using recycled fibers that have received no additional chlorine-bleaching.

Made in the USA: Intended to mean that most of the product or all significant parts were made in the USA. There is no specific percentage stipulated in the law. Current Federal Trade Commission standards do not include fair labor practices.
Natural Fiber Clothing: clothing made from fibers found in nature, such as cotton, wool or hemp not necessarily grown without pesticides or fertilizers or processed without chemicals.

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