Clean shopping tips: look for these logos when you buy Fast Company Follow Login Co.Design Tech Work Life News Impact Podcasts Video Live EventInnovation Festival IF360IF360 Subscribe FastCo Works AWS Genpact IBM Homepage Co.Design Tech Work Life News Impact Podcasts Video Live Event Innovation Festival IF360 Subscribe Help Center fastco works AWS Deloitte Dept Elevate Prize EY IBM Klarna Visa FastCo Works An award-winning team of journalists, designers, and videographers who tell brand stories through Fast Company's distinctive lens FC Executive Board collections Fast Government The future of innovation and technology in government for the greater good Most Innovative Companies Fast Company's annual ranking of businesses that are making an outsize impact Most Creative People Leaders who are shaping the future of business in creative ways World Changing Ideas New workplaces, new food sources, new medicine--even an entirely new economic system Innovation By Design Celebrating the best ideas in business Newsletter Events Innovation Festival Courses and LearningAdvertiseCurrent Issue SUBSCRIBE Follow us: advertisement advertisement 08-07-22 Look for these 6 logos if you want to be a cleaner and more conscious consumer Shopping clean and green can shift our well-being and reshape the world we live in. Here’s how to decode some of the most recognizable labels. By Samar Marwan 1 minute Read As a capitalist society that votes with dollars, the party of conscious consumerism is growing, as are the third-party certifications that verify the ethics, sustainability, and purity of products. “Natural,” “vegan,” and “zero-waste” are casually slapped onto labels without much validity or oversight. Still, hundreds of legitimate organizations are dedicated to validating transparency in supply chains and the goods they produce. Here are a few verification logos to look out for on your next shopping excursion, and what they mean. advertisement Organic and Natural [Source Image: USDA] While “natural” is a loosely used description, “organic” refers to farming that doesn’t use fertilizers, pesticides, chemicals, or additives to grow and harvest crops. One of the most recognizable labels, USDA, certifies a product is organic if it’s been “grown on soil that had no prohibited substances applied for three years before harvest.” Nontoxic [Source Image: Made Safe] Most home goods contain some amount of poisonous elements like talc, the main ingredient used to make eyeshadows and baby powder, which is contaminated with harmful asbestos fibers. Made Safe certifies that everything from pillows to tampons is made without ingredients that are harmful to humans. Vegan and Cruelty-free [Source Image: Leaping Bunny] Fourteen percent of Americans follow an animal-free diet, and that practice can go beyond food consumption, with more beauty brands manufacturing vegan products. Leaping Bunny and Beauty Without Bunnies verify personal care products are not tested on animals nor use animal-derived ingredients. advertisement Ethical and Humane [Source Image: Fairtrade] Low pay, child labor, and inhumane working conditions have been a cause for concern since the rise of outsourced production overseas. Certifications like Fairtrade prioritize working conditions and equitable deals for farmers, while B Corp focuses on a company’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices. advertisement advertisement advertisement advertisement advertisement Call for Most Innovative Companies entries! Apply now. 500+ winners will be featured on fastcompany.com. Final deadline: 9/23. Video Tech Tech This is why investors remain bullish on Web3 technology Tech 18 things to know before buying a Samsung foldable phone Tech Two computer scientists explain how to spot deepfake audio News News Will there be a beer shortage? A lack of carbon dioxide puts brewers at risk News What Biden really meant when he said the pandemic was ‘over’ News The world got 5.2 million more millionaires last year, but many are getting pinched in 2022 Co.Design Co.Design Could a Heineken ad from 2017 actually hold the key to reducing partisan animosity? Co.Design This tree owns itself—and is fighting for its own survival Co.Design See a bizarre sculpture made from 15 pounds of human hair Work Life Work Life How to ask your boss for more meaningful work Work Life The unspoken reason women leave the workforce Work Life The one word that shows performance reviews are still terribly biased Advertise Privacy Policy Terms Notice of Collection Do Not Sell My Data Permissions Help Center About Us Site Map Fast Company & Inc © 2022 Mansueto Ventures, LLC