What Does A Sustainability Certification Really Mean? (2024)

Have you ever wondered about the legitimacy of the sustainability “stamps” you can find on many products, like bluesign, Fair Trade, Climate Neutral and beyond? Sustainability, which is defined by the United Nations as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs,” is a noble goal, especially if you want to make purchases that support human rights and the environment as much as possible. So then what do all of these sustainability certifications actually mean? And can you really trust them?

The short answer is it depends. In general, a certification marks a step toward more conscious consumerism, but it’s hard to know who’s doing the certifying. “[Sustainability] certifications in general are a good thing. They’re important because we do need some verification: You can’t just slap ‘natural’ or a green label with flowers on a product and claim that it’s good enough,” says Sandra Goldmark, director of sustainability at Barnard College and senior assistant dean for interdisciplinary engagement at the Columbia Climate School. “The challenge is that there are a lot of different sustainability certifications, and we don’t know what to look for or trust. Very few are regulated [by the government], and many are voluntary.”

Goldmark is correct: There is still little to no government regulation when it comes to putting sustainability certifications up against a vetting process, although many experts expect that this change will come soon, due to the recent rise in the number of certifications available.

Tierra Forte, one of the founders of the Fair Trade Certification program and the current CEO of Mightly, a children’s clothing company, agrees that regulation is likely coming soon in the certification space. “It’s likely that regulatory agencies will crack down on these types of claims in the future, as they did for so-called ‘natural’ body care products in 2016,” she says. At present in the U.S., the closest we’ve come to regulation is a roundup of “sustainability certifications you should know about” published by the Library of Congress in 2021.

For now, it can be challenging to know how to pick out valid certifications from the “bad” ones. I’ve been testing products for years as a writer for Forbes Vetted, Wirecutter, the Wall Street Journal’s Buy Side and others. Each year, I notice more and more brands claim that their products (like boots, shoes, jackets and kids’ toys) are “sustainably made.” But through my research and reporting, I’ve also heard from smaller brands and start-ups that applying for these special sustainability certifications can be expensive; much of the time, smaller companies can’t afford the cost. So how can people know what to trust? After speaking with three experts, spending hours researching different programs, and wandering the aisles of local retailers to scope out certifications, this is what I’ve learned.

What Is A Sustainability Certification?

In short, sustainability certifications and standards are voluntary guidelines that manufacturers and organizations claim to follow. All certification programs are private; none of them are regulated by the government. Some metrics put the list of global sustainability certifications at more than 400 programs long.

Ideally, a sustainability certification addresses environmental effects, labor and materials, according to Goldmark. If you’re buying something new, you might feel more confident—and ethical—about your choice if you know it was made in a way that reduced negative impacts on the environment and on people.

Sustainability certifications have become popular because of a rise in “greenwashing,” Goldmark says, which is when a company makes false or misleading marketing statements about its product’s environmental benefits.

Typically, a certification program vets a company’s processes so consumers can trust that its products are made responsibly in relation to the environment, which means that the company’s carbon footprint is small, that it is using materials—like water or paper—efficiently and that it is giving back to the environments it occupies. Fair labor practices are also typically included in these certifications, and the programs often claim to represent some level of material sustainability, too, with less toxic or recycled materials. Research also shows that setting high sustainability standards for businesses does, in fact, have positive effects for the company’s revenue and the environment.

Goldmark uses feminine products as an example of greenwashing. “I was appalled by how many products were labeled as natural and covered with green trees and fluffy clouds,” she says. In reality, none of the products she looked at were made sustainably, in a way that would be considered “natural.” For example, most feminine products are made with super absorbent polymers (SAPs) to help contain moisture; these plastic-based materials take a long time to break down in landfills. Similarly, when I tested the best diapers for Forbes Vetted earlier this year, I found that many brands included terms like “eco-friendly” and “sustainable” on their packaging but were selling products that contained non-biodegradable ingredients, like SAPs and polypropylene.

Certification programs have stepped in to fill that gap in consumer trust. But you still need to be on the lookout for red flags, like a lack of transparency about how to apply to a certification and what it covers.

How To Vet A Sustainability Certification Program

If you see a certain certification popping up often when you’re researching a new product, search for the organization, take a look at its website and read the fine print to see what its certification means.

You can also use the following criteria to vet a program:

A Well-Defined Application Process

If you want to go the extra mile, learn about how companies apply to the certification program and how each company is vetted. A Rainforest Alliance representative cautioned against trusting a certification program that isn’t transparent about its onboarding process, which includes fees and vetting of members. Noting fees can also help you understand if the costs are prohibitive for smaller companies; this isn’t a deal breaker, but it can help you understand why a product by a seemingly sustainability-minded brand may not have the same certification as an industry-leading one.

“It’s extremely important to ensure the robustness of any certification,” says Jill Poet, from the Organisation for Responsible Businesses (ORB), which encourages small businesses to embrace people, planet and profit. “This might mean [the certification is] more expensive and the process is more time consuming, but unless the certification has a robust, appropriate process in place, it could potentially do more harm than good.” By this, Poet means that if a certification doesn’t thoroughly outline the steps that companies have to go through, it may not be trustworthy – which could erode trust in the entire sustainability certification industry as a whole.

Clearly Established Guidelines

The certifying organization’s website should be transparent. By reading it, you should be able to understand what the program certifies a company is or isn’t doing. In this vein, Poet warns against programs that are “little more than tick-box exercises” that don’t provide much value to the organization or the consumer because they don’t require much of their applicants. Forte agrees, noting that vague claims like “sustainably sourced” or “ethically made” don’t tell us much if the organization doesn’t explain what each term means to them or how it verifies such claims. If anyone can pay for a sustainability sticker without having to change their manufacturing processes or dig into their ingredient lists, the certification is essentially window-dressing.

A Positive Reputation

If you notice that several brands you trust have been certified by the same program, it may be a sign that this certification carries a stronger reputation for being trustworthy than others.

Based on these rules, there are a few well-established, transparent and reputable certifications worth looking out for. Keep in mind that all of the experts I spoke with cautioned against highlighting certain certifications as better than others; a business’ products, needs and size will dictate which certification program is the best fit.

With that said, several certifications came up repeatedly among my sources as well-established and trustworthy:

• bluesign: Brands like REI use the bluesign-approved stamp to declare their commitment to a sustainable manufacturing process. (An REI representative confirmed that 80% of their products contain bluesign-approved materials at the moment. At Patagonia, nine of their top 10 material suppliers are bluesign system partners and use bluesign-approved chemicals.) You’ll only find the bluesign stamp on textiles; brands must meet strict standards related to eliminating chemicals, reducing water and energy consumption, offsetting carbon emissions and keeping workers safe.
• Climate Neutral: Brands with a Climate Neutral stamp adhere to emissions standards, which involves looking at different types of emissions in facilities and supply chains (designated as scope 1, 2 and 3), and they also work to reduce or offset those emissions. The money that comes in from this certification process goes directly toward climate change solutions. This is one of the most affordable certification processes I found during my reporting. Avocado mattresses, BioLite headlamps and Kickstarter all carry a Climate Neutral certification.
• Fair Trade International: This organization focuses on fair wages and working conditions, with rules on employee health and safety and guidelines around topics like fair wages, adequate leave time, contracts and beyond. A Fair Trade-certified organization has been audited and must license the trademark image to use on its goods. Many small farms and coffee producers use this trademark, and Fair Trade also has an online store that lists some of the brands it works with.
• EWG Verified: The Environmental Working Group’s certification program is only for companies that produce goods in the personal care, cleaning product and baby care spaces. Companies with EWG certification adhere to standards around ingredient transparency and sustainable product practices. These organizations pay a fairly large annual fee based on the company’s size (ranging from $100 per year to thousands). Dr. Bronner’s soaps and Healthy Baby diapers carry this verification.

You can also look for certified B Corporations, which is a certification that for-profit entities can get if they also have a social mission. It’s a voluntary program based on self-reporting, with a hefty annual fee.

How To Get A Sustainability Certification

It’s worth noting that sustainability certifications are voluntary; some cost more than $25,000 per year and vary based on the percentage of revenue or size of the company, meaning that small businesses may not be able to afford to join. Most certification programs require fees or dues, an application process, certification completion and participation in a membership community as well as regular audits.

For example, ORB helps small businesses understand and use corporate social responsibility principles. Their members are first vetted, then they can acquire an online certification that teaches them how to implement these principles. They’re also added to a member directory, and they pay modest dues that depend on how many employees they have.

Other certification programs—like the Rainforest Alliance’s 2020 certification program, which asks companies to commit to sustainable practices, responsible sourcing and ethical conduct—heavily vet their members through a robust assessment and audit.

If you become a Fair Trade-certified organization, you must pay a Fair Trade premium on every item you produce and sell with that label. While this can be out of reach for smaller companies, Forte says that this process is meant to hold companies accountable. The premium fee is determined by the amount of fair trade production in the relevant factory, workers’ wages and local cost of living. Companies also pay a licensing fee to Fair Trade USA.

“Selling Fair Trade-certified products is a significant commitment for any company,” Forte says. Many of the smaller brands I speak with when sourcing products for reviews cannot afford this certification yet, but they see it as a goal. As with organic certifications, many companies may adhere to sustainability principles without carrying a sustainability certification. If this is the case, you can always email or call a brand’s customer service to ask directly about its production processes.

Seeking The Trifecta

Truthfully, Goldmark says, we’re a long way from understanding what we need to be doing about our shopping habits to combat climate change. When we’re talking about materials, it’s still tough to figure out what matters most.

“Should we prioritize low toxicity? Reclaimed materials? Recycled content?” Goldmark says. “There’s not an easy answer. It’s still so complicated. But if you look for certifications that hit the trifecta–environment, materials and people–you’ll get close to something good.”

In sum, shopping responsibly is relative. Your version of sustainability may be different from someone else’s and will be shaped by your personal values. For example, do you care more about environmental impact, or how companies treat their employees? Factoring in these values may also help you feel more positive about your shopping decisions.

Goldmark and Forte also note that shopping sustainability is just one piece of a larger picture of ethical consumption. Participating in a circular economy—buying sustainable goods, then reusing, reselling or recycling them once you’re done with them—will become even more important as climate change impacts increase. Soon, Goldmark predicts, sustainability will become expected; most companies will need to be transparent about their practices to retain customer loyalty. These certifications, she believes, are just the beginning.