Japan survey finds unclear, potentially deceptive eco-labels

A survey by the Consumer Affairs Agency has found that dozens of eco-labels on products and services in Japan lack clear claims, with some falsely suggesting third-party certification.The country's first environment-friendly label, a type of advertisement, was Eco Mark, established by the Japan Environment Association in 1989, while labels without third-party certification began to appear in the late 1990s, according to the agency.In a survey conducted last year, the agency assessed 139 labels according to six criteria, including clarity and scope, and found that 59 used nature-themed image…READ FULL ARTICLE