It’s the end of Earth Week! We’ve featured Nora Schaper from HiBAR, Marissa tried out five hair bar brands, and we spotlighted biodegradable glitter for Coachella. But we didn’t feature Amazon… so today, we’re diving into a popular question: “What does Climate Pledge Friendly mean on Amazon?” We’ll be including the different certifications, and some of our favorite products from Amazon’s own certification, Compact by Design.
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What Does Climate Pledge Friendly Mean, Anyway?
Basically: the Amazon Climate Pledge Friendly certification means that the product is, in some way, battling climate change. A certification stamp from Amazon means that the product “meets sustainability standards and helps preserve the natural world.” A product must have one element that contributes to its status as a more sustainable option – we’ll get into that.
Amazon determines what’s Climate Pledge Friendly through their partnership with third-party certifications, plus their own certification, Compact by Design. Examples include: Bluesign, Carbon Neutral by Carbon Trust, EWG Certified, Cradle to Cradle Certified, and MADE SAFE.Â
So, in summary: you’ve found a product that says it’s Bluesign certified. This means they use less energy in the product process. Or maybe it says it’s an EPEAT product – they have been assessed based on specific criteria and have increased and implemented sustainability practices throughout the lifecycle of the product.
Carbon-Offset Certifications
- Carbonfree Certified: analyzes carbon footprint of a product and its carbon emissions offset by reduction projects.
- CarbonNeutral product by Natural Capital Partners: measures manufacturing processes’ carbon emissions, then makes internal reductions and offsets the remainder.
- Climate neutral by ClimatePartner: analyzes the production process and carbon footprint, plus actions taken to lessen the footprint.
- Reducing CO2: products lessen their carbon footprint with each year that passes.
Animal Welfare and Environmental Safety Certifications
- Certified Animal Welfare Approved: animals are raised on independent, high-welfare, pasture-based, more sustainable farms.
- The Forest Stewardship Council: products support responsible forestry.
- Rainforest Alliance: certifies that products have been created with sustainable farming practices to help improve farmers’ lives and fight climate change.
- USDA Organic: these products are grown and processed with soil and water quality standards in mind, among other criteria.
- Regenerative Organic Certified: products have proper standards in place regarding soil health and land management, animal welfare, and social fairness.
Certifications for Healthy Standards for Workers
- Fair Trade Certified: products are made with ethical standards in place, including safety, sustainability, and empowerment in the workplace.
- Fairtrade International: verifies that production cycle adheres to ethical and sustainable processes, while also providing support to farmers tackling climate change.
- Fair for Life: certifies fair trade and ethically- and sustainably-conscious supply chains.
Efficient Resource Certifications
- Recycled Claim Standard 100: products are manufactured with 95%+ organically-grown ingredients.
- Global Recycled Standard: products are made with 50%+ recycled content, while also meeting social, environmental, and chemical standards.
- ENERGY STAR Most Efficient: recognizes brands and products that are efficient and reduce carbon emissions to the max.
- Organic Content Standard Blended: requires 50%+ of materials to be grown organically.
- Organic Content Standard 100: uses 95%+ organic materials throughout the creation cycle.
- Bluesign: products are made with fewer resources, including less energy, throughout the production process.
- EPEAT: compares products to criteria regarding energy use and reduction of sustainability impact across the product’s lifecycle.
- ECOLOGO: promotes products containing one or more portions of the creation pipeline that reduce environmental impact.
- Global Organic Textile Standard: certifies steps of production process of the organic textile supply chain based on social and ecological standards.
- Green Seal: products reduce climate and environmental impacts at one or more stages of their lifecycle.
- Higg Index Materials: provides data to consumers so they’re aware of the lower environmental impact of a product’s production process.
Chemically Safe Certifications with Available Products
- MADE SAFE: prohibits substances that may harm environmental or human health throughout the production process.
- Made in Green by Oeko-Tex: tests products for harmful substances, and also promotes products made in safer workplaces with less effect on environmental impact.
- EWG Verified: confirms that products do not contain any of EWG’s known chemicals of concern and adhere to health standards.
- Cradle to Cradle Certified: products are made with healthy and safer materials, as well as responsible and eco-friendly practices.
- US EPA Safer Choice: products contain ingredients safer for the environment and human health.
Amazon’s Compact by Design
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Amazon’s Compact by Design certification means a brand has created a product with packaging that reduces excessive use of elements like air, water, and plastic. While the products may not look as aesthetically interesting (don’t we all love perfume bottles for their fun, unnecessary shapes, for example?), they save space and resources, from the actual containers to the packaging Amazon uses to ship.
Now that you know the certifications that are currently available to shop by, we recommend these products to feel ethical, sustainable, and overall environmentally- and socially-friendly when wearing.
If you’re interested in looking at some of Amazon’s Compact by Design products – it’s the only certification that’s specific to Amazon – we recommend checking these beauty products out, all on sale for 20% or more!
What does Climate Pledge Friendly mean to you? Are you going to shop more from Amazon now? Tell us below!