Our homes and workplaces can have a tremendous impact on the environment through the purchase of unsustainable furniture, fittings and flooring.

Products awarded Eco Choice Aotearoa’s ecolabel are made with environmentally-preferable and responsible-sourced materials, without the use of unnecessary harmful substances, and  built to last.

The category covers a wide variety of products including, but limited to:

• Indoor and outdoor furniture (i.e. chairs, desks, tables, cabinets, beds, wardrobes)
• Soft furnishings such as mattresses
• Fittings such as vanity units, partitions, window-frames, skirtings and shelving
• Panels for furniture or fittings
• Indoor lining products for use on walls and ceilings, that may or may not have acoustic insulation properties
• Fixed indoor flooring (Please refer to EC-63-22 for the ecolabel’s criteria for carpet and rugs)

The criteria specifically excludes:

• Flooring applied in a liquid state
• Integrated heating and flooring systems
• Ceramic tiles, stone, marble or granite;
• Linings used to insulate against heat loss (Please refer to EC-25-17 Building Insulants instead)

Eco Choice Aotearoa takes a lifecycle approach with all its product and service standards; considering the sourcing of raw materials, manufacture, application and end-of-life.

Applicants must have an effective product stewardship scheme in place, or show strong evidence they’re working towards one. In addition, companies must monitor and report on operational emissions, waste, energy and water usage.

This standard is recognised by the New Zealand Green Building Council (NZGBC) and Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) and eligible for Green Star points.