Here in the UK, Which! is our big consumer rights organisation. They made an announcement this week to their supporters, but interestingly did not say so much on social media about it.
They are designating certain products “Eco Buys”, starting with two appliance categories.
In December 2019, we asked more than 1,300 Which? members what sustainability issues mattered most to you when buying a new product.
Longevity, energy use and repairability were the three most important factors. But these can be hard to determine from a product’s spec sheet or reviews, and some products that make green claims don’t always live up to them, or can fall down when it comes to their actual performance.
This sent us a clear message: we need to make it easier for you to identify sustainable products that live up to their eco claims and still do their job well.
The criteria are slightly problematic and there has been some argument on their own forums about them.
Curious to hear your thoughts? And if you are in a different country with a different consumer rights org doing something similar, we’d like to hear how you think they measure up.