Know Your Green Labels?

Everybody knows the Energy Star label now; it is the "joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy helping us all save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices."

More on Energy Star:

Receive an Energy Star Home Performance Evaluation

Learning about Labels: Energy Star vs EPEAT : Planet Green

Why Rely on Questionable Energy Star Labels? Take Matters Into ...

Energy Star Products Aren't Actually Meeting Energy Star ...

Energy Star Getting Tougher on TVs, Tests Them When Turned On

The Green Seal label is found on cleaning products, Paper products and personal hygiene products. It is a third party system where manufacturers apply and the product is evaluated against open and transparent standards.

Greenguard is a label that certifies air quality. Certified products give off very little volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other chemicals that might harm people. There is a separate, tougher standard for children and schools. If you look in Planet Green's guides, you will see a lot of office furniture is certified GreenGuard.

These are the people that brought us LEED, the green building certification system that takes energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources into account.

More on USGBC and LEED:

LEED Accredited Professionals : Planet Green

Kitchen Design: David Gottfried's LEED Home Renovation

Kitchen Design: David Gottfried's LEED Home Renovation

Is LEED Breaking Up with FSC-Certified Wood?

Discovery Headquarters Get LEED Platinum

Green Dot is a tough one for North Americans; It is the European symbol for a wonderful system of producer responsibility. 130,000 companies subscribe to the system where they are responsible for recovering and recycling the packaging that they sell products in. And we love the idea of producer responsibility!

More on producer responsibility

Use the 3 Rs?and Then Some?To Eliminate Trash

Recycling is Bulls**t Use Your Friggin' Head Before Throwing Things Out!

Frugal Green Living: Have We Been Brainwashed To Avoid it?

Green and Responsible CFL Vendors sell the Light, not the Bulb

It's Time for Deposits. On Everything.

We love our FSC certified wood; it is the toughest standard of wood harvesting that often leaves the forest in better shape after they have been through than before. It is under attack by the industry-founded SFI, because they love to clear cut and FSC doesn't allow it.

More on FSC:

A Picture Is Worth: FSC vs SFI Forests

Survey: Would You Pay More For Certified Wood?

Buying FSC Lumber is a Responsible Choice : Planet Green

Wood Frame Building Guide : Planet Green

One of the oldest green labels, Eco Logo was started by the Canadian government in 1988 but now is North America's largest environmental standard and certification mark. It is a third party system where companies pay to have their products tested to an open standard. It is now run by Terrachoice, famous for its "six sins of greenwashing."

More on Eco Logo and Terrachoice:

EPEAT and EcoLogo Partner Up to Promote Electronics : TreeHugger

98% of Green Labeled Products are Actually Greenwashed : TreeHugger

Greenwash Watch: The Six Sins : TreeHugger

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle is everywhere, and it is virtually meaningless. In 1970 the Container Corporation of America held a competition for art and design students to raise awareness of environmental issues. 23 year old Gary Anderson won with his three arrows that form a Möbius strip. It is in the public domain and anyone can use it, and just about everyone does.

More on recycling:

Use the 3 Rs?and Then Some?To Eliminate Trash

Recycling is Bulls**t

Green-e: Congratulations if you got that one! It is obscure, the symbol of "the nation's leading independent consumer protection program for the sale of renewable energy and greenhouse gas reductions in the retail market. Green-e offers certification and verification of renewable energy and greenhouse gas mitigation products."

More on Green-e and green power:

How To: Get Green Power : TreeHugger

5 Good Ways to Get Green Power Into Your Home : TreeHugger

How to Go Green : Electricity : Planet Green

Green Lantern : Because we are not always so serious! Besides, we need some new green guardians of the Universe.

More on Green comics:

Yesh, "Mutts" Cartoonist Patrick McDonnell Makes Every Day Earth Day

Arctic Circle Comic Strip is Environmentally Conscious, Funny

Credits: To my students at the Ryerson School of Interior Design, Library Case Study Group, who came up with this great idea and had the mad photoshop skilz to do it:

Esther Abrams, Jessica Baird ,Gillian Gregory, Nicole Hoppe, Anna MacDonald, Allison McMurter, Roxanne Thorpe, Nathan VanEgdom, Rohani Lim