Do you know who issues ECO and natural certificates and what are the main certificates?
June 29, 2022
For anyone who lives on our planet and has their eyes open, it is clear that sustainability is an essential concept for preserving not only the environment, but also our own long-term survival.
In 1987, the United Nations defined sustainable development as "development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs".
Human activities have a clear and obvious impact, and it is up to everyone to try to make this impact as less damaging as possible.
And I think this is one of the first key concepts:
We cannot completely eliminate the impact of human beings, but we can find ways to make this impact less harmful to the planet or even neutral.
Because our impact on the landscape, on biodiversity or on erosion patterns has been detected since the beginning of civilization. But no one is unaware that this impact was much more benign and that the damaging effect has been increasing exponentially since the Industrial Revolution.
There are voices that call to "turn back the clock" and give up part of the advances achieved in the last centuries, but this scheme is not really feasible or sustainable at a global level, since there are countries that are just beginning to enjoy these advances and it would not be fair to ask them to abandon them because of the past lack of restraint of other nations. And for the measures to work, they must be global, as the earth knows no borders. "Either we all progress or there is no progress," goes the motto of conscious capitalism.
Therefore, it seems clear that the answer is SUSTAINABILITY, but a comprehensive sustainability that encompasses all aspects of our lives. To continue doing what we like, but in a way that can be maintained over time, that does not deplete resources, pollute spaces, affect people or alter the environment.
At MUTTU, we believe that we must be ambitious, and that the sustainability of our actions can be achieved if we pay attention to these 3 pillars:
Because only if our actions are fully sustainable can we truly reduce our negative impact.
But what things can we do to make our actions environmentally sustainable? Which of our actions have the greatest impact?
In addition to thinking of ways to reduce energy consumption, we can also think of ways to preserve water sources by managing waste properly so as not to contaminate aquifers and by monitoring the products we use so that toxic substances do not reach the water cycle.
Did you know that traces of drugs have been found in some wild fish? Scientists tested a feminization of the males of several fish species in waters contaminated with sex hormones from sewage (containing the urine of thousands of women taking contraceptives).
Obviously, we cannot stop using the drugs we need, but we can take care to use products with low-polluting rinses, such as laundry detergents, dishwashing detergents or cosmetic products.
Sustainable products will be those with low environmental toxicity, or which are rapidly biodegradable in the environment, and have low biopersistence, but also those obtained by using water rationally, without wasting the resource with extensive irrigation, for example.
We can find out the environmental toxicity of an ingredient by checking its MSDS and/or its labeling, which must comply with the European CLP regulation, or by consulting the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) database.
To this effect, many governments have enacted laws on waste management, rational use of water... which have serious economic costs for companies; and this brings us to the second point: Social Sustainability.
Seeking to save costs, many companies have offshored their production to countries with laxer environmental regulations and less protectionist labor conditions. These countries use their "soft" domestic regulations to attract business and prosper, but at a high environmental and social cost.
But as we have said before, the Earth recognizes no borders, and the vitality of our environment depends not only on what we do, but on the whole world.
We cannot change companies or countries, but we can recover the value for work, for labor.
Recognizing the value of other people's work is vital for our current lifestyle to be sustainable over time.
Valuing craftsmanship, local and/or socially respectful production, bearing in mind that the cost may be a little higher, but emphasizing the added value it brings, is the first step we can take.
For example, it is not sustainable that avocado growers in Chile have restricted access to drinking water because it is preferably used to irrigate the same avocados they grow. We can send help, we can make rescue plans, but the root problem is that this is a socially unsustainable crop, even if it is natural, ecological and even lucrative. And I have mentioned avocados, but there are thousands of examples of natural products obtained in an unsustainable way.
Reliable suppliers that apply Social Responsibility policies, with Access Benefit Sharing programs or that promote fair trade will be our best allies for a more sustainable way of doing business.
And again the economic factor appears; which brings us to the third point. Everything must be economically sustainable.
The most sustainable product in the world is useless if it cannot be accessible to the majority of the population. Sustainable cannot be synonymous with elitist and luxury, but must be available to as many people as possible for it to be effective.
To this end, corporate transparency policies and pricing policies adjusted to the real value of products are the great allies of sustainable companies.
Commitment to sustainability must be present in the values of our reference brands.
At MUTTULab we are committed to global sustainability. Taking into account that currently we do not have all the tools and technology necessary to achieve a neutral impact on the environment, but great journeys begin with one step. Little by little, decision by decision, we can make our lives more sustainable and leave the next generations a better world than the one we found.
Find out more about Celia Campos, Technical Director and co-founder of MuttuLab, author of this article.
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