Skip to main content

TECHNICAL UPDATE - The Flower - EU symbol of Eco-label

 In the arena of labeling and certification, The Flower a voluntary scheme which encourages businesses to market and sell products and services that are “kinder to the environment”.



 There was a time when if a product was produced in the handloom, the seller said so and the buyer bought it in good faith. The honesty of the word of mouth might persist but to give credence there has been brought in place a system of labeling and certification. Each set of label has its distinct benefits, advantages and lays down certain criterion for selection. There is also put in place a scheme for marketing so that the certificate holder gets the benefit of putting on the label.

 The Flower as it is popularly called is the symbol of the European Eco label. The label is given for a host of categories excluding pharma products. It is a voluntary scheme which encourages businesses to market and sell products and services that are “kinder to the environment”. The presence of the mark helps buyers and sellers to identify such products whose makers have voluntarily put in place a system of check and a commitment to the environment. It is today a symbol of products, providing simple and accurate guidance to consumers. The compliance is checked by independent bodies and the product meets strict performance standards. In textiles it can be awarded to all kind of textile clothing and accessories, interior textiles, and fibres, yarn and fabric.

The key features which the label guarantees – limited use of substances harmful to the environment, limited substances harmful to health, reduced water & air pollution, textile shrink resistance during washing & drying, colour resistance to perspiration, washing, wet & dry, rubbing & light exposure….. Once certified the manufacturers can use the free Green Store to sell the product. There are checklists available for first assessment, then the companies can contact the assessors for the detailed survey for compliance. The guidelines are revised from time to time. The presence of the Flower guarantees that the product is Green, eco friendly and confirming to the EU standards. There are plenty of well known names from countries of Denmark, Sweden, Thailand, Indonesia, Italy…

 

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

BOOK REVIEW - Divyambara (Masterpieces of costume from the Collection of the National Museum) by Dr. Lotika Vardarajan

We do a book review this time,  this book Divyambara (Masterpieces of costume from the Collection of the National Museum) by Dr. Lotika Vardarajan with contribution from Sushmit Sharma brought out by the National Museum, New Delhi. Dr. Lotika Vardarajan, a Tagore Fellow passed away suddenly before the book could be released. It is an ideal tribute to her vast knowledge, enthusiasm and spirit in the world of revival and documentation of traditional crafts, arts and preservation of heritage of the country. The book can be called a catalogue, anthology, brief history of sorts of the textile collection at the National Museum. It traces the origins of the textile department which falls under the section of Decorative Arts and then the building of the collection. There are interesting insights which one does not get to hear. The introduction by Dr. Mani clearly states that unlike other Museums which had a repertoire of collected textiles presented to them or gifted to them to begin wit...
Post a Comment
Read more

BOOK REVIEW - Textiles: Binding threads between Cultures from National Museum Collections

The season of books and what they reveal continue. This is from the National Museum and titled  Textiles: Binding threads between Cultures from National Museum Collections.    What is good is that several books documenting collections in various museums and private collections is coming out. This makes available a vast variety of heritage textiles available in the public domain. Since most of them are not on display and need special permission to be viewed, these publications are useful for those who want to know more about the collection present. It is in this genre that the recent book brought out by the National Museum serves its purpose. This book aptly covers that. The book which has been in the making for some time now provides an interesting insight into the history of textiles and its historical significance. Dr. Anamika Pathak, Curator, Decorative Arts, National Museum, New Delhi tells me is that a two day symposium was held on the Embroidered Art of South of I...
Post a Comment
Read more

BOOK REVIEW - Sahib, Bibi, Nawab – Baluchar Silks of Bengal 1750 – 1900

You thought it was a nostalgic reminder of the movie of yore – Sahib Bibi aur Gulam. No, that is the name of the catalogue launched together with the exhibition of the same name showcasing the rich collection of Baluchari with TAPI. TAPI stands for the Textile Arts of the People of India, has been set up by Praful and Shilpa Shah of Garden Mills to showcase their private collection of textiles amongst other things. Their collection of textiles is stupendous and several exhibitions have been held at the National Museum, Delhi. Notably has been the first on traded textiles from India, the Pichwais and later one on Parsi Gara embroidery. Each exhibition is accompanied by a detailed catalogue written by eminent textile experts and detailing each of the exhibits. It is the detailing of the exhibits as a catalogue which opens to textile enthusiasts, revivalists and those in the trade, the sheer design potential of them. This book cum catalogue has been written by Eva Maria Rakob, Shilpa Shah...
Post a Comment
Read more