Good Choice label policy tightened
The labels we assign to items are aligned with Milieu Centraal. It now appears that some quality marks or characteristics previously considered Good Choice are now less sustainable than expected. Therefore, we are removing the Good Choice label from a number of items. The label will disappear on June 1, 2026. Please note: we are not taking these items offline.
Why are we adjusting our policy?
The requirements for a more sustainable product range are becoming stricter from both the industry and the European Union. As a result, some quality marks or characteristics behind our items no longer meet the requirements. Milieu Centraal is our objective external research partner for determining Good Choices. They assist and advise us in this. Their knowledge and insights regarding sustainability change over time. To stay in line with new insights, laws, and regulations concerning sustainability, Milieu Centraal asks us to remove some quality marks from our policy.
Which quality marks are affected?
The following quality marks have led to changes in our policy based on the latest research from Milieu Centraal:
Recycled Claim Standard: this quality mark guarantees that an item consists of 50% or more recycled material. However, the requirements set for the environment, people, and work are insufficient to maintain the Good Choice label as a quality mark.
Global Recycled Standard - Fashion: is a quality mark indicating that an item consists of at least 50% recycled material. Specifically for fashion-related product ranges, the quality mark is no longer ambitious enough.
In addition, the research has also led to a number of changes in our policy for the following characteristics of items:
Impregnated (garden) woodImpregnated wood is discouraged by Milieu Centraal in all applications because there are wood types that have been made durable in a more sustainable way. There is also a risk of harmful substances leaching out.
Solar energy: Items with a solar cell that are not connected to the grid are often worse for the environment, due to the environmental impact of the solar cell and battery that are (usually) included. Better alternatives are devices with a plug or with rechargeable batteries that are charged with electricity from the grid.
Materials: the following material types will lose their Good Choice label because there is not enough supporting evidence to demonstrate that these materials are a significant improvement compared to the standard.
- Circulose
- Refibra
- Repreve
- Econyl
- Hemp
- Cork
- Linen
- Lenzin ECOVERO
- LIVAEco
- Tencyl/Lyocel
We understand that this impacts our product range. At the same time, we want to use our Good Choice label as reliably and independently as possible and not mislead customers. Therefore, the label for these items will disappear after June 1, 2026.
New ways to obtain a Good Choice label
From now on, there are additional possibilities to obtain the label:
EPEAT 2.0 – Gold & Silver: The EPEAT quality mark is managed by the Global Electronics Council, which is committed to sustainable electronics. EPEAT stands for: Electronic Products Environmental Assessment Tool. For silver and gold levels, producers must meet additional requirements.
Birdhouses: Only birdhouses that meet the correct dimensions, for example, those from the bird protection society/Vivara are good.
For all other quality marks not mentioned above, nothing changes. Items with these quality marks are still eligible for a Good Choice label. Want to know more? View this page*.
* We are processing the adjustments on the platform. Some characteristics may still be visible for a short time.