Ecolabels for Thriving Communities

Community champion

This brand engages with the community, delivering value through initiatives that have a positive impact on either the national, regional or local community beyond their BAU business activity. The company must show evidence of these initiatives with timelines, goals, a description of the initiative and data on the results achieved so far.

Industry champion

This awards businesses that drive improvements within their own industry or sector. This can include sharing best practices and projects, working to achieve structural changes, or pushing for sector regulation. Companies working towards this achievement will need to show the details of the initiative, timelines and goals, as well as any data on the impact of the initiative to date.

Empowered employees

Flexible work-from-home options, promoting low-carbon travel or including climate responsibility in job descriptions are some of the measures companies can take to empower their employees to be happier, healthier and live more sustainably. Businesses will need to show documented evidence of these initiatives.

Fair Trade certified

This business can demonstrate that it sources its products from a fair trade supply chain and are fair trade verified. Evidence of this includes a fair trade certification from an auditor or certifying body such as The Fair Wear Foundation or membership of the Fair Trade Enterprise of the World Fair Trade Organisation.

Female led

The business must have an active female founder, co-founder or CEO, and will need to provide the names to be eligible.

Gives to charity

This brand supports a registered charity on an ongoing basis, either financially or with practical support. The business will need to provide disclosure of the charity as well as a detailed breakdown of how the initiative works and details of the donations.

Living wage

To achieve this award, the brand will need to pay the Living Wage to all directly employed staff and a decent standard of living in the UK and London. The business should provide evidence of an active Living Wage accreditation as a Living Wage employer.

Registered charity

The company is a registered charity in the United Kingdom, and must hold a valid charity number.

Cooperative

This business has a cooperative structure, so is owned and controlled by its members. These can be customers, employees, residents or suppliers. The company must show confirmation of its governance structure.

How can Feefo’s Sustainability awareness solution benefit my business?

Feefo’s Sustainability awareness solution gives your business the tools you need to communicate your sustainability journey to your customers clearly and effectively. Displaying your sustainable achievements can help you attract conscious shoppers, strengthen your reputation and differentiate your brand from your competitors, as well as engage your employees and attract new talent.

What is ethy?

Feefo has chosen ethy as our trusted sustainability partner. Through this partnership, brands can showcase their ethy verified sustainability accolades alongside their Feefo verified reviews, building consumer confidence and transparent, trusted relationships.

How much does it cost?

There is an affordable monthly charge based on your business turnover.

What is an ecolabel?

Ecolabels are a series of consumer-friendly badges. Designed to help your customers understand your sustainability achievements, each one links to a United Nations Sustainable Development Goal. You can use ecolabels across all forms of marketing, from your website and advertising to packaging and window displays.

What ecolabels can my business apply for?

There are around 41 ecolabels available, which are grouped into six core sustainability areas: Stable Climate, Clean Planet, Responsible Resource Usage and Production, Healthy People, Thriving Communities, and Protecting Biodiversity and Animal Welfare. We will work with you to help you select the most appropriate ecolabels to apply for, depending on your business type. For example, a health and beauty brand might want to apply for the cruelty-free ecolabel.

What do I need to do to receive ecolabels for my organisation?

Get in touch and speak to a member of our friendly team. We will work with you to decide which ecolabels to apply for and let you know what evidence you need to supply for each one.

How long does the verification process take?  

The process is thorough but not overly time consuming. An assessment will usually take a few weeks, depending on the complexity of the brand and the ecolabel.

How long is Feefo’s Sustainability awareness solution valid for? 

Ecolabels obtained are valid for 24 months. Brands can submit evidence for reassessment after 12 months and before 23 months should they wish to remain verified beyond the initial term. There is no additional fee for the resubmission of evidence. 

How many ecolabels should I apply for?

We will work alongside you to help you choose which ecolabels you can apply for. Most businesses will receive between three and eight ecolabels.

Why does Feefo have a sustainability awareness product?

Feefo has always supported consumers and businesses to make the right choices, by providing reliable insight from its verified reviews. We recognise the difficulty that consumers face in identifying which brand activities genuinely promote sustainability and which are, in effect, greenwashing.  We believe that we are well positioned to verify the sustainability claims that brands make and provide a clear, straightforward indication of trust that consumers can recognise, when they’re considering purchases.  Our product aims to support consumers and businesses alike by providing a clear way to verify a brand’s sustainability across a number of areas based on the UN Sustainable Development Goals. 

What are the UN Sustainable Development Goals?

The ecolabels are derived from the UN Sustainable Development Goals - a collection of 17 global goals adopted by all United Nations Member States designed to be a “blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all”. You can find out more about the UN Sustainable Development Goals in our blog: https://www.feefo.com/uk/business/resources/business-insights/united-nations-sustainable-development-goals

Thriving Communities