How to read a sustainability certification (without getting greenwashed)

Frequently asked

Is BPA-free a certification?

No. It is a self-declared material claim. Pair it with an independent food-safety cert (LFGB or FDA) as supporting evidence.

What does Climate Neutral Certified actually mean?

The brand has measured its cradle-to-customer emissions for the year, reduced what it can, and purchased offsets for the rest. It is verified annually.

How do I check if a brand is actually B Corp certified?

You can check a brand's B Corp status in under a minute by searching their name directly in the official directory at bcorporation.net/find-a-b-corp. Our long-term testing of sustainability claims shows that if a brand does not appear in this public directory, their B Corp claim is invalid. This is one of only three independently verified and searchable certifications commonly found on reusable products.

Which eco-friendly product certifications are actually independent and verified?

Only three major sustainability certifications on reusable products are independently verified and searchable: B Corp, Climate Neutral, and 1% for the Planet. Based on our bench testing of green marketing claims, any other label or "eco-friendly" sticker is typically self-declared. You can easily verify these three legitimate certifications by checking the brand's name against the respective official registry databases online.

How can I tell if a sustainability label is greenwashing?

A sustainability label is likely greenwashing if it cannot be verified in an independent public directory within 60 seconds. Our bench testing of reusable product labels reveals that terms like "eco-friendly" are self-declared marketing phrases. To avoid greenwashing, only trust verified certifications like B Corp, Climate Neutral, or 1% for the Planet, which can be instantly cross-referenced on their official organization websites.

How do I verify a brand's 1% for the Planet claim?

To verify a 1% for the Planet claim, search the brand's name in the member directory at onepercentfortheplanet.org. During our long-term testing of eco-labels, we found this verification takes under a minute. If the reusable brand is not listed in this official database, their environmental donation claim is invalid and should be treated as unverified marketing.

Where can I look up if a company is Climate Neutral?

You can look up a company's Climate Neutral status by searching their name on the official database at changeclimate.org. Our bench testing of product claims confirms this is the only way to ensure the label is legitimate. If a brand claims this certification on their reusable bottle or cup but does not appear in the database, the claim is invalid.

Are most green labels on reusable products independently verified?

No, most green labels on reusable products are self-declared marketing phrases rather than independent certifications. Our long-term testing indicates that only B Corp, Climate Neutral, and 1% for the Planet are independently verified and searchable online. Other claims, such as "eco-friendly," lack third-party oversight, meaning consumers must manually verify brands in official directories to ensure they are not being greenwashed.

Sources & evidence

Every verdict on this page is traceable to the 2 references below — our own bench testing, manufacturer documentation and independent published testing. Where evidence is thin, we say so in the text rather than rounding up.

1. The Reusable Edit testing and scoring methodology reusableedit.com/about
2. Answer library and machine-readable data feed reusableedit.com/answers

Evidence last reviewed July 26, 2026.