Doing the Eco-Lingo!
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by: ShannonBJADE | Total views: 81 | Word Count: 729
You can shop just about anywhere and find bargains on organic, natural products with green logos making numerous claims of being a environmentally friendly product. Totally organic! USDA Certified! All Natural!
Organic - When the label boasts Organic, this tells you that the manufacture is claiming that it is a product that was grown while not using chemicals such as pesticides or fertilizers. On the other hand it could be a product that is made from organic plant processing. For instance, organic fabrics are made of materials such as cotton that includes no chemicals while growing or that organic food includes no fertilizers or pesticides while growing and processing. In other words, there are no chemicals used in organic farming.
Certified Organic - When a label features ?certified organic? this tells you that someone has checked to make sure the manufacturer claims are true and agrees that organic farming is being practiced. Although the guidelines that manufacturers must adhere to may vary from one agency to another, their intent is similar, meaning there is someone checking on manufacturer and seeing that they do follow regulations. For example, ?Australian Certified Organic?, has one of their nine government accredited agencies find out whether a product is actually manufactured organically. In other words, a product claiming certified organic hold more credibility than those which simply state organic.
Certified organic labels means that the claims of the producer have been checked and found as true of the practices of farming organically. Various certifying agencies feature various guidelines for manufacturers to abide by, although they do have the same intent. Someone is making sure that manufacturers are abide by the regulations. One such example is Australian Certified Organic, have one of their nine government accredited agencies of Australia audit any questionable manufacturer to find out if the product is indeed organically produced. You should consider that a certified organic product carries more credibility than that of a product claiming to be organic.
USDA Certified is the United States Department of Agriculture, it has various programs designed especially for making sure that consumer products are what they claim to be. The USDA will certify organic farms when they know the farm makes a continual practice of avoidance concerning the use of synthetic fertilize or pesticide. Consumer confidence much like this is featured by many other countries and organizations. Remember you can trust that a product is organically produced when the label claims to be USDA Certified.
Natural on the product label opens up a world of difference in interpreting the creativity of manufacturers. Although there are rules and regulations concerning the labeling of organic, there are no concrete rules as to what is or is not permitted with natural products. It could mean just about anything to anyone. It could mean that some of the ingredients of a product are of a natural source or that the ingredients are not processed. It could even mean a manufacture is trying to pull a fast one on you, hoping you chose their product rather than that of a competitor. Just keep in mind that a label that claims natural should be questioned as to the intent of the manufacturer and its motivation.
All natural is a shady area and can mean just about anything. The manufacturers know this and then profit from your uncertainty. It is tricky since customers can only assume what may be in the items they purchase that are all natural. Could it be healthy? Could it be unprocessed? Could it be non-allergen? Could it be nutritious? We cannot really be sure, since it could be anything the customer wants it to be. Remember to check the labels list of ingredients if you are looking for something like low salt, sugar free or preservative free, do not ever just assume something is all natural. The end result is that when you search for a particular product whether it is low in fat, sugar, sodium or preservatives, you need to read the list of ingredients before you merely assume that it is all natural.
If you are confronting your sorting bins and wondering where to begin, you have already taken your first step. Congratulations! You can take your time while developing good recycling habits, since every bit contributes. Our beautiful planet as well as you and your family will benefit. Thank you for caring.
About the Author
Certified Organic cosmetics, probiotic, household and baby care. Discover Organic Living
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