What is an eco-friendly product ?

Eco-friendly products made using natural materials and ingredients are better than those manufactured using plastics and synthetic materials, and/or chemicals and dangerous substances.

In terms of agricultural production processes, an organic product guarantees a high level of biodiversity and environmental practices that preserve natural resources and animal welfare.

A green product generates less CO2 emissions (the main greenhouse gas responsible for global warming) and/or less water and energy to manufacture.

Cotton, although natural, requires more water and fertiliser to process than other plant materials such as flax or hemp. However, organic cotton can be a more environmentally-friendly alternative.

A complex manufacturing process is almost always not energy efficient. Which is why some European manufacturers are moving towards ‘low-tech’ products that use less energy.

This label provides information on the energy efficiency of the appliance, with a grade ranging from A to G. It goes with a QR code that should give you access to a product information sheet centralising all the technical characteristics of the products on sale.

The energy label allows you to compare the cost of using the product, over and above its purchase price.

Sustainability is also measured in the length of time products are used before they reach the end of their life cycle and whether they can be re-used, repaired or repurposed.

Repairability is one of the most important features of a sustainable product. Single-use, short shelf-life products have created a throw-away culture that makes replacement easier and cheaper than repair. Built-in obsolescence in tech products is also a problem in our society.

If we are to make more climate-friendly products, repairability should be one of the main aims in design and manufacturing. A green product should be easy to repair, and spare parts for replacement should be easily available.

To reduce your climate footprint, it is best to buy furniture or appliances made and sold in France or Europe, or at least made from materials sourced in Europe. This is because transport is the second major factor in greenhouse gas emissions after energy and electricity use.

Fair-trade

A fair-trade product is produced in a significantly shorter time and within a more transparent supply and trade chain, all of which allows small source producers to make a decent living from their work.

Fair trade is not only about food, such as coffee and chocolate, but also about textiles, furniture, jewellery and decorative items for example.

Fair trade is not defined at EU level. 
In France, the law stipulates that fair trade must meet certain criteria, including payment by the buyer of a price based on production costs and balanced negotiation, part of which is earmarked for community projects.

• Payment by the buyer of a remunerative price for the workers, based on production costs and balanced negotiation;
• Payment by the buyer of an additional amount earmarked for collective projects, with the aim of strengthening the capacities and empowerment of the workers and their organisation;
• A commitment between the fair trade organisations and the producers over a period that limits the impact of the economic hazards suffered by the workers, which may not be less than 3 years.

An ethical product on the other hand takes into account the working conditions in which the product was designed and distributed.
Without knowing it, you have probably already bought products from supply chains that take advantage of forced labour, or extremely unfavourable working conditions (low pay, exploitation of minors, high health and safety risks, non-existent social protection, etc.).
According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), forced labour means any work or service done under the menace of any penalty and which the worker does not perform of his own free will. Forced labour currently affects 27 million people worldwide, including 15 million in South-East Asia. More than 3 million children are allegedly victims of forced labour. 

This is a major problem in a number of consumer industries:

• Some major supply chains for clothing brands are unfortunately contributing to this unfortunate phenomenon.
• The electronics industry is also affected, with smartphones, tablets and computers. The materials such as cobalt and lithium are mined in terrible conditions around the world.
• Other minerals such as gold and diamonds, which are used in jewellery, are mined in similar conditions.

This is why a European regulationbanning the sale, import and export of goods produced using forced labour is due to come into force by 2027.
It will enable the competent authorities and Member States of the EU, as well as the European Commission, to investigate suspect products, supply chains and manufacturers.
Any manufacturer of products banned as a result of this type of investigation will have to withdraw their products from the European market and donate, recycle or destroy them. 

In France, the so-called ‘climate and resilience’ law provides for the introduction of a system called ‘Ecobalyse’, which is due to be rolled out by 2025.

This is an index that affixed to clothing sold in shops and online, with the aim of raising consumer awareness of excessive purchases or products of very poor quality.

An official calculator that analyses the life cycle of a garment give the basis for this index possible and takes into account the following criteria:

• Choice of raw materials
• Processing
• Packaging
• Transport
• Distribution
• Use of products
• End of life

Professionals will have to use this calculator, like a questionnaire, by filling in the data corresponding to each stage of the product's life cycle, enabling them to obtain an Ecobalyse impact score. The product will then display this score.

In the same way as household appliances, clothing will also have its own score, based on the environmental and social impact of each item of clothing.

For the time being, this system is still in the test phase in several major retailers. The French government hopes to make the index compulsory in 2025.

On the European level, the EU will introduce a digital product passport following the adoption in May 2024 of a regulation on eco-design.

This passport, available from 2027, will initially target electronic and textile products. A digital passport will be associated with each product, providing consumers with information on its environmental sustainability thanks to a QR code.

The passport will include composition, origin of materials, repair options, end-of-life treatment and environmental performance of the product. This tool should also help you make more sustainable choices when shopping online!