Each country has its own ecolabel certifications for its green products and services. In Australia, we have the GECA ecolabel certification organization, which is also the country’s only Type I ecolabel certification.
Discover GECA
Founded in 2000 by Petar Johnson and colleagues, Environmental Choice Australia is a non-profit, independent organization under the management of the Australian ecolabeling Association. In its early years, the organization focused on developing the first ecolabel standards. It wasn’t until 2002 that Environmental Choice Australia began certifying products and services that met environmental standards and ensured consumer health.
Over time, the organization grew so large that in 2006, it had to split into two separate entities to operate as efficiently as possible. These two entities are: the non-profit organization Good Environmental Choice Australia (GETA), which specializes in developing standards, and the business Good Environmental Choice Services Pty Ltd (GECS), which handles assessment/auditing.
Separate from the assessment/auditing processes, GETA pursues best practices in operating the ecolabel. To date, GETA has held B Corp certification since 2015, making it Australia’s only Type I ecolabel certification body and the sole Australian member of the Global Ecolabelling Network.
What are GECA’s assessment standards?
Meeting GEN’s Type I ecolabel standards, GECA requires businesses applying for ecolabel certification to provide information on the impact of their products and services throughout their lifecycle on key aspects:
- Consumer health: Prohibiting certain heavy metals, minimizing the use of toxic chemicals, and ensuring that product ingredients meet safety standards and are non-carcinogenic.
- Society: Fully comply with requirements regarding employee rights and wages.
- Eco-friendly goes hand in hand with quality: Not only committed to the environment and health, products must also pass quality tests to ensure consumer rights.
Product categories covered by GECA certification
As the only non-profit organization in Australia providing Type I ecolabel certification, it is no surprise that GECA itself must cover a wide range of products to serve diverse needs. These products are mainly divided into major categories such as:
- Building construction: pathways, cement, paint, and flooring.
- Cleaning products: household cleaning agents.
- Tiles and furnishings: office furniture, carpets, mattresses.
- Personal care: hand soap and bath soap.
Specific standards vary depending on each product category, and GECA has currently developed over 25 sets of standards for its categories. This helps ensure certification is fairer across different segments while maintaining product standards and quality according to consumer needs.
A ticket to the Australian sustainable market
Although it is the only Australian ecolabel certification, GECA is not the only ecolabel in Australia. Alongside GECA, there are other prominent names such as Eco Choice Aotearoa from New Zealand or EcoLogo from the United States. However, GECA remains the label that receives the most attention and preference from Australian consumers. Therefore, if you want to enter the green product and service market of the land down under, GECA ecolabel certification is definitely essential for businesses.
Furthermore, GECA itself is recognized in many countries worldwide as a member of GEN. Therefore, possessing this certification also brings many advantages to products when businesses expand into other global markets beyond Australia.
Conclusion
For many years, GECA has been one of Australia’s most important ecolabels, helping to verify countless quality green products and services. GECA not only contributes to protecting the ecological environment but also helps ensure the health of Australian consumers while continuously striving to promote sustainable living.