For more than 30 years, Eco Choice Aotearoa has worked with businesses to minimise their environmental impact and help New Zealanders buy better.
How it started
In 1989, the New Zealand Government took a pivotal step in environmental leadership by publishing a paper on the Labelling of Environmentally Friendly Goods. They invited the public to share their thoughts on a proposed voluntary ecolabelling scheme.
An overwhelming majority of the submissions received expressed strong support for the proposal.
It was clear that there was a need for an ecolabelling programme which:
- Held industry to best practice environmental standards
- Was independent, credible and transparent
- Comparable with overseas schemes
How it's going
Today, Eco Choice Aotearoa (formerly Environmental Choice New Zealand) is one of the world’s oldest and most respected ecolabels. It is part of the Global Ecolabelling Network (GEN) a membership of Type 1 ecolabels (ISO 14024) hailing from nearly 60 countries.
Eco Choice Aotearoa encourages sustainable leadership and competition among industry, and is a crucial tool in transitioning Aotearoa New Zealand to a low-emissions, circular economy.
The ecolabel offers everyday Kiwis an unmatched level of assurance that what they’re buying has met environmental best practice, is safe for them and their families and fit-for-purpose.
While the Ministry for the Environment owns the trademark, the non-profit is governed by an independent Board of Trustees. It is a pass/ fail certification which does not accept offsets as an alternative to addressing emissions at their source.
Eco Choice Aotearoa currently certifies products and services with a combined annual revenue of more than NZD$2 billion.
Why choose Eco Choice Aotearoa
Trusted & transparent
We openly share the criteria we use to evaluate each product or service, right here on our website.
Rigorous & robust
Our assessments are rigorous, product-specific & cover the whole lifecycle; from raw material extraction to end-of-life.
Earned, not bought
Eco Choice Aotearoa is a pass/ fail certification. Businesses are subject to ongoing audits to monitor compliance.
Uniquely Kiwi
We use a globally recognised framework (ISO 14024) drafting standards with our local environment and feasibility in mind.
Innovation focus
Our criteria is based on scientific research and updated regularly to encourage continuous improvement and innovation.
Green Building
Eco Choice Aotearoa is recognised by the Australian & New Zealand Green Building Councils (NZGBC)
Procurement
If you’re a business, third-party proof of your environmental credentials provides an advantage when tendering for work.
Global recognition
Eco Choice Aotearoa has ‘sister’ ecolabels around the globe and is recognised by the likes of the US Environmental Protection Agency.
Our Values
Eco Choice Aotearoa is dedicated to being the country’s most trusted indicator of environmentally and socially-responsible products and services.
As we’ve done for more 30 years, we will continue to work with businesses to raise standards; ensuring a motu where the environment, people and economy thrive.
These standards extend not only to how we treat the environment, but how we treat each other.
We are committed to the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and acknowledge Ngāti Whātua as the mana whenua of Tāmaki Makaurau, where our head office is based.
At Eco Choice Aotearoa, we believe diversity and inclusion makes us stronger, and more effective.
We aim to honour this country’s origins in tikanga Māori and draw inspiration from the concept of kaitiakitanga.
Impact Stories
Discover the real-world impact of our ecolabel through stories from corporations to family-run businesses.
The ecolabel takes out any perceived marketing bias and provides a level of confidence that our products are safer for people and their environment.
- ecostore
