Home Depot introduces Eco Option label

As Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) continues to fight for its environmental credibility in the wake of a Business Week article accusing the retailer of not backing up its organic-focused PR campaign with actual orders, another big box retailer is asserting its commitment to the environment.

Home Depot  (NYSE: HD) this week launched its "Eco Options" label for products such as compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), sustainably harvested wood and natural insect killers. The label is currently on 3,000 products, and the company plans to brand up to 6,000 products with the Eco Options label by 2009.

The label includes five categories for products: Sustainable Forestry (for Forest Stewardship Council-certified wood products), Energy Efficient (for energy-saving products such as CFLs), Healthy Home (for products such as organic fertilizers and cleaners), Clean Air (for products that improve indoor air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, such as paint with low-volatile organic compounds), and Water Conservation (for water-saving products such as high efficiency toilets).

Suppliers can earn Eco Options labels, and thus prominent shelf space for their products, by meeting widely accepted federal, international or industry standards such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star criteria. Suppliers can also gain the Eco Options stamp of approval from Scientific Certification Systems, a third-party certification company hired by the retailer.

Home Depot introduced the Eco Options label in 2004 in its Canadian stores and, according to the company, sales have been strong.