What if you had a key for finding products for yourself and your family that can help the environment be better? Well, in some ways, you do—there are more than 600 eco-certifications that can inform your purchasing decisions. And according to research from the Environment Working Group and Morning Consult, 50 percent of shoppers make purchases using the associated medallions that grace certain products.
On April 23, 2025, Jane Francisco, editorial director of the Hearst Lifestyle Group and our editor in chief, spoke to Jocelyn Lyle, executive vice president of mission and partnerships for the Environmental Working Group; Julia Collins, founder and CEO of Planet FWD; and Zac Ludington, head of product strategy and innovation at Amazon’s Climate Pledge Friendly Program, during the Hearst Eco-Conscious Living Summit.
“Everyone has the right to be a part of the solution. Every purchase is a vote about the world you want to live in,” said Collins, whose company helps companies understand their sustainability opportunities, as well as how to communicate them to others. Amazon has made all this easier for consumers by vetting all the certifications and working with companies that have vowed to help our planet get to the carbon levels pledged at the Paris Climate Accord — all of which can be found on one landing page.
“Consumers are shopping with third-party seals and making sure these seals have science behind them,” said Lyle, “and Amazon took all the certifications and put them in one place.” The result: People are changing their buying habits. Amazon has been able to measure and determine that 100 million consumers have made the switch to more sustainable products, according to Ludington — a real environmental impact.
If it were up to him, Ludington added, “every consumer would know about these programs.”
Watch all the discussions from the Hearst Eco-Conscious Living Summit HERE.
