Since West Germany launched the first environmental labeling program – the Blue Angel – in 1978, eco-labeling initiatives have emerged in more than two dozen countries, including Canada, the European Union, Scandinavia, Japan, and the United States (Harrison 1999:10). Eco-labels can cover a surprisingly broad range of items, from lawnmowers to vegetables. Germany’s Blue Angel is found on over 3,500 products (The Blue Angel 2003). Europe’s “flower label” is used by 135 manufacturers, retailers, and service providers and on several hundred products (Bouvret 2003; EUEB 2003). (See Figure 6.4 The EU flower eco-label.)
