HISTORY
The history of Green Tick® Certification starts in Whangarei, Northland, New Zealand in 1998, where Mrs Susan Harris, a sustainability scientist, came up with the idea for Green Tick® while shopping for dinner ingredients in the local supermarket one evening. Nothing was certified sustainable, and she saw the need for a simple, easily recognised ecolabel on the front of the package, backed by an independent scientific audit.....seemed simple enough....but it was five years in the making. During this time Susan was part of the team that advised the New Zealand Commerce Commission on its original Guidelines for Environmental Claims (latest update here).
Now, 25 years later, the journey continues with an unblemished track record for Green Tick® Certification Limited. Only the Green Tick® Ecolabels shown on this website belong to the original, genuine, independent, and proven Green Tick® Certification Scheme.
1. Five-Year Research Project
The original shopping list that sparked the idea for Green Tick®. A trip to the local supermarket on the way home from work in 1998 led to a five year research project backed by family and business associates.
4. Acceptance at Harvard
Other colleagues at Harvard University recognised Green Tick® Certification as a world-leading innovation, and it became part of their "notable innovation" programme in 2006.
2. Australasian Market Trials
Australasian market trials took place in 2004 in two countries and two markets. Damara Lamb was certified Green Tick® Natural in Queensland as a joint project with scientists from the Department of Primary Industries. The certified lamb sold out weeks before it was ready for market. Then, an 18-month nationwide supermarket trial with a cleaning products supplier in New Zealand yielded sales increases of seven certified products up to +233%, averaging +52%.
5. Formal Papers
Formal scientific and marketing papers in the Green Tick® Certification Scheme and market responses to it were published by Emerald Insight in 2007. Links here: Green Tick® System and Does Sustainability Sell?
3. Presentation of Prototype at European and International Sustainability Conferences
Through science colleagues in the European Commission, Susan was invited to present the prototype of Green Tick® Certification to the European Roundtable of Sustainable Production and Consumption Conference in Antwerp, Belgium in 2005, and to the International Sustainability Conference in Basel, Switzerland, also in 2005.
6. Global Launch
The Global Launch of Green Tick® Certification followed, with certified products sold in Australasia, Asia and the USA. The Green Tick® ecolabel remains unblemished after 25 years' operation, fulfilling our vision to provide the world with a science-based, obvious, and always authentic green ecolabel.