How To Read Eco Seals on a Bag

A seal should convey its basis, and a marketer with a third-party certification must still be able to support the claims it makes.

Published November 2, 2026 · 3 min read · Topic: Materials, Labels & Claims · Materials & labels

Typical situation

A bag has a green logo or a certificate mark, and you want to know what it proves.

Main answer · berabags Editorial Team · Selection view

The FTC summary says marketers should not use environmental certifications or seals that do not clearly convey the basis for the certification, because they are likely to convey general environmental benefits. A marketer with a third-party certification still has to substantiate all express and implied claims.

What the source says

Certifications and seals may be endorsements, subject to the FTC’s Endorsement Guides.
Marketers should disclose any material connection to the certifying organisation, meaning one that could affect the credibility of the endorsement.
Seals that do not convey the basis for the certification are likely to convey general environmental benefits.
To avoid deception, marketers should identify clearly and prominently the specific environmental benefits.
A marketer with a third-party certification must still substantiate all express and implied claims.

How to read a seal

Find the name of the scheme.
Find what it certifies: a material, a factory or the finished bag.
Look for a way to check, such as a certificate number.
Ask whether the seller has any connection with the scheme.
Note whether the seal covers the whole product.

What a seal does not tell you

A seal does not say how a bag will wear, how it will fit or whether the price is fair.

A practical step

If a seal matters to your purchase, look up the scheme named on it and find out what it covers. Many schemes publish a description of their criteria. This takes a few minutes, and it tells you more than the logo. If you cannot find the scheme, ask the seller to explain it, and treat a missing answer as information.

Where this answer stops

This article does not rank or endorse any seal, and it cannot tell you whether a particular scheme is rigorous. It is not legal advice.

Sources and further reading

FTC: Environmental Claims, Summary of the Green Guides

Three more perspectives

berabags Editorial Team · Selection view

Look for the name of the scheme, the thing it covers and a way to check it. A logo without a name is hard to evaluate.

berabags Editorial Team · Purchasing view

Ask which part of the product the seal covers, and whether it covers the finished bag or only one material in it.

berabags Editorial Team · Risk view

A seal can suggest a general benefit that nobody has promised. Read the small print beside it.

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