Which labels to choose to consume responsibly?

Sustainable development is not just about protecting the environment. the sustainable development, it’s a bit more than that. The idea of ​​a “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs”. Even more, the idea of ​​a development that leaves no one behind. And who cares as much about the well-being of our Planet as about the health, education, in short, the living conditions of those who inhabit it.

To help us see things more clearly, there are of course online discussion groups. Or initiatives like the one launched on the EDF Pulse & You co-ideation platform. Until August 12, 2022, it invites Pulsers to share their experiences in terms of sustainable development as well as the criteria that are most important to them. To finally note the products and services they use on a daily basis.

Rate the products and services you consume and win great gifts like an Iphone 13 or an electric bike !

To participate, it’s simple:
1. Go to the EDF Pulse & You platform to rate a product or service you use (it could be your bank, your insurance, or that cream you love)
2. Explain how they meet your expectations (or not)
3. Tell us how they could be even more “sustainable”

A European Ecolabel to protect the planet

Even if consumer opinions have a certain value in this area, there are also some labels that can guide us. The European Ecolabel is one of these.

The European eco-label was created in the early 1990s. And as you can imagine, it designates products and services – from furniture to cleaning products, including clothing, DIY or tourism. – whose impact on the environment is reduced. While ensuring their performance and efficiency.

The criteria for awarding the European Ecolabel are validated by representatives of industry, consumer and environmental protection associations, distributors and public authorities. They take into account the entire life cycle of the product, from the extraction of raw materials to its recycling or disposal, including manufacturing and distribution. Thus, the packaging of labeled products, if they are made of plastic, must include a minimum percentage of recycled plastic.

A Nutri-Score for our health

Nutri-Score, introduced in 2017, is arguably one of the best-known labels today. Its objective: to help us consume good quality products. nutritional quality. But do you know how this score is assigned? It was developed by researchers, doctors and nutritionists. The scores, from A to E, reflect the composition of the products. They are based on the nutrients they contain and their content of foods to promote – such as fruits, vegetables, fibers – or to limit – such as calories, sugars, salt.

Thus, the Nutri-Score makes it possible to compare, at a glance, the products of different brands and to choose the best for our health. But beware, the Nutri-Score does not provide information, for example, on the environmental quality of a product. Nor on the conditions under which it can be made. To learn more about these points, it is still consumer opinions that can provide valuable information.

An energy label to save money

The energy label, on the other hand, is intended to help consumers choose an appliance based on its energy efficiency. For the good of the climate, but also to allow him to save money on his bill. It has also existed since the very beginning of the 1990s. It then mainly concerned household appliances. But it has since spread to cars and even real estate.

In the first case, the energy class is assigned according to the consumption of the device. And depending on the appliances concerned, it includes other useful information such as washing efficiency, noise or water consumption, for a washing machine.

Affixed to cars, the energy label informs about the CO emission level₂. It is attached to the ecological bonus-malus system set up by the government. And it uses laboratory tests to simulate driving conditions as realistically as possible. Tests that take into account different criteria such as speeds, particular situations, the weight of the cars or even the equipment. But which could, despite everything, not quite reflect the real traffic conditions that drivers face in their daily lives. Here too, therefore, consumer opinions retain their value.

For a dwelling, it is based on the energy consumption associated with heating, air conditioning and the production of domestic hot water. For houses built after 1948, the calculation takes into account all the thermal characteristics of the dwelling (location, insulation, etc.). For the others, it is generally based on the energy bills of the last three years.

Subject produced in partnership with EDF teams