Nowadays for consumers it is difficult to make sense in the wide world of the product’s environmental performance labels. Some claims on the market are not reliable, could be misleading and companies can give a false picture of their environmental impacts. This phenomenon is known as greenwashing.
To counter this practice and protect consumers and environment the European Commission on March 2023 had published a proposal for a “Green Claim Directive”. The draft forces that all the environmental labels must be verified by a third part. The validation of the information inside will impede the publication of false content, improving the consumers’ protection ad trust.
The European Commission is also working on a
Directive that assure customers on their
right to repair. Producers or importers must inform buyers on their obligation to repair after the period of warranty and give transparent information on the repair service through an accessible European module. Producers or importers could request the payment for the repair service and may also outsource this service.
Finally, yet in 2022 the draft for a
Regulation on Eco-design for sustainable products was published. With its coming in force, expected as for the other directives in 2027, only sustainable products shall be introduced on the European market. Every products category will be regulated through Delegated Acts. The publication of
the first package of Acts is waited in 2024 and furniture may be inside the products covered.
The Delegated Acts will identify for each product category some
sustainability requirements as:
- The presence of substance of concern
- The possibility of recycling of components
- The use of energy
- The environmental impacts
Which must be respected for product’s commercialization. The product must have also a digital passport with information and technical characteristic, including traceability of the value chain. The responsibility will be of the manufacturer or, in case of extra Europe producer, of the importer or distributor.
These tools will help to fulfill the European targets for the green transition.And how can Catas help companies in this transition?
Catas has included among its services the
LCA-Life Cycle Assessment protocol, the tool for measuring the environmental impact of a product or service. Life Cycle Assessment is a standardised (ISO 14040, ISO 14044) and globally recognised method for quantifying the environmental damage, such as greenhouse gas emissions, land acidification and resource consumption, caused by that product or service. This is a complex procedure, but also an
opportunity to undertake a serious path of awareness to limit one's environmental impact as much as possible. In fact, if this awareness becomes part of a company's assessment, it will necessarily influence the product design process, starting with the selection of raw materials and ending with the end of life. Furthermore, the LCA study is preparatory to an
EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) certification, issued by an independent third party authorised to publish the results of LCA studies within international web platforms divided by product sector and freely consultable.
Not to mention that a reduction in consumption and resources used in the production cycle is
also beneficial for the company's economy.
For more information, please visit:
Or contact:
Matilde Ceschia
+39 0432 747241
ceschia@catas.com
