Reliable household products get the Good Housekeeping seal of approval. Safe electronics earn Underwriters Laboratories' UL mark.
But consumers and investors looking for environmentally responsible products and services have to trudge through a swamp of seals, claims and certifications -- only some of which designate independent, verified environmental accomplishments.
There's "Green Seal," founded by independent nonprofit group Green Seal Inc. and "Co-op America Seal of Approval," started by not-for-profit group Co-op America, which deems products "Approved for People and Planet."
Product manufacturers and retailers further muddy the water by adding more general titles and symbols, including "Certified Green," "Green Certified," just plain "Green" -- and more "Green Business" logos than you can shake a tree at.
Wood and paper products might be marked with the Sustainable Forestry Initiative seal or the Forest Stewardship Council shield; some products sport both.
And then there are the more general claims, including "nontoxic," and "chemical free."
"I'd like to say that if there's no credibility behind it, a label won't survive, but that's not necessarily true," said Linda Chipperfield, the vice president of marketing and outreach for Green Seal Inc., one of the older and most-respected eco seals.
That leaves well-meaning Americans to wander store aisles and puzzle over various product claims the best they can.
Julie Collins, who blogs about environmentally responsible cleaning products on www.the homeknowitall.com, studies companies, labels and ingredient lists before she goes to the store.
Collins is a 24-year-old writer and editor for the company that produces the website, Lexicon Consulting Inc. The Des Moines resident says she stays away from products with only vague promises such as "natural." And, particularly with household cleaners, she tries to steer clear of anything without a precise ingredient list.
But those efforts still don't guarantee that the products she's buying are safe for the environment, Collins said. And that doesn't even take into account the thornier questions, such as product packaging, manufacturing processes and the greenhouse gases emitted to ship the product to the store, she said.
