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Whether or not you believe that GMOs are safe for human consumption, the majority of American consumers support the labeling of GMO foods. Genetically engineered crops might be here to stay, but even so, it may be in the industry's best interest to label products that contain them. So said Campbell Soup President and CEO Denise Morrison in a big announcement: Campbell will disclose the presence of GMOs on product labels across its portfolio and strongly supports federal legislation to make GMO labeling mandatory.

There are an estimated 455 eco-labels in use, creating a poorly regulated "wild west" that does little to inform consumers about the products they buy and often have no verifiable criteria, experts say. "There are too many labels out there. And too few of them are the real thing," says Valerie Davis, co-founder of EnviroMedia

A group of eight companies - including the Campbell Soup Company, Henkel, PepsiCo, and Unilever -have adopted the How2Recycle labeling system, a standardized labeling system for product packaging that communicates recycling instructions to U.S. consumers. The How2Recycle label is now featured on thousands of products from more than 60 companies.

navigating the wide world of eco-labels can be confusing at times. To clear things up, this week we rounded up six ways eco-labels can help consumers and businesses stay sustainable - no matter what their interests are.

Companies and consumers are increasingly gravitating toward "clean labels" that include simple, transparent and jargon-free information about products, often including their health and environmental impacts, writes Andrew Winston. "Neglecting the clean-label movement will cost you customers and workers; avoiding it as a purposeful strategy could destroy the company or a few careers," Winston warns

On Friday, General Mills announced that it will "soon" start labeling its products that contain genetically modified organism (GMO) ingredients nationwide. With the rationale that it is impractical to label its products for just one state, the company plans to disclose GMO ingredients according to the law set to go into effect in Vermont on July 1.

"Sell by," "Use by," "Display until" and "Best before" food labels intended to inform consumers about food quality and safety frequently come under fire for their lack of clarity and confusing terminology that contributes significantly to the colossal food waste problem - one that costs families up to $29 billion annually in the United States alone. However, little concrete action has been taken to address the problem. Now, the Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) - a network of 400 of the biggest consumer goods companies across 70 countries - along with Champions 12.3 has approved a Call to Action to standardize food date labels worldwide by 2020.

Swedish denim label Nudie Jeans is touting its 100% organic jeans, which it says need to be washed only once every six months, with the promise that it will repair them for free if users manage to ding them up. "People sometimes say that we'd earn so much more if we didn't have this service. ... Yes, we could, but that's not the point. We think long term," says CEO Palle Stenberg

Nestle's half-liter bottles of water sold in the US under the Deer Park, Pure Life, Poland Spring, Ice Mountain, Ozarka, Arrowhead and Zephyrhills brands now feature the new How2Recycle label. The label reminds consumers to replace the cap before recycling the empty bottle.

The Coca-Cola Company, General Mills, Kraft Foods and the other 300-plus food companies that are members of the Grocery Manufacturers Association will soon lobby the US food safety regulator and Congress for a single federal standard covering oversight and labeling of new genetically modified foods, Reuters reports.

Ben & Jerry's, Stonyfield Farm, and over 200 other companies and organizations signed a letter urging President Obama to institute a national labeling system for genetically engineered foods.

Environmentalist and shareholder advocacy groups have filed resolutions urging Monsanto, DuPont de Nemours and Dow Chemical Company to stop using corporate funds to fight a referendum in Washington that, if it passed, would require special labels on raw and processed foods made from genetically modified crops.

GreenBlue's Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC) announced this week that McDonald's USA is the newest participant in its How2Recycle Label Program. A member of the SPC since 2005, McDonald's is the first national restaurant chain to join How2Recycle, a program dedicated to clearly and consistently communicating recyclability to the public.

Hasbro, Inc., a global company committed to creating the world's best play experiences, is the latest company to join the growing How2Recycle Label Program. Hasbro joins over 45 other participating companies committed to educating consumers on packaging recyclability by providing clear on-package instructions.

Palm Oil Free Certification programme launches in UK and Australia A new certification programme has launched to validate consumer products that make no use of palm oil, which has been blamed for fuelling deforestation in Asia. Set up by a group of women experts, the Palm Oil Free Certification Accreditation Programme (POFCAP) is now in operation in Australia and the UK following approval from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, IP Australia, and IPO UK. Fourteen other nations have applied to introduce the label. Australia-based eco cleaning products company Clean Conscience is the first to carry the label, and the group is working with a host of other companies on certification. Despite improvements to tackle deforestation, POFCAP said "only 17% of all palm oil used can be classed as 'non-conflict'". The scheme is based on extensive research and trusted methods to trace all potential palm oil and palm oil derivative ingredients of a product back to their source. (Business Green)

Mislabeled seafood products have become a widespread problem: Recent studies have found that 30 percent of seafood products are mislabelled and that such errors have led to significant distrust in labels among consumers. Meanwhile, DNA test results have reinforced that the Marine Stewardship Council's (MSC's) ecolabel provides credible traceability.

Green cleaning products are no longer a niche interest, with many consumers willing to pay a little extra to pick up chemical-free or otherwise eco-friendly cleaning products, writes Stephen Ashkin. That shift is partly due to the rise of eco-labels and certification programs, which helped cleaning companies slice through the complexities of green chemistry. "With the advent of certification, standards and ecolabels, buyers have been given more tools to choose appropriate products," Ashkin explains.

The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), which represents more than a third of the global clothing and footwear market, is considering a Quick Response (QR) code system that will allow consumers to scan clothing labels at the point of purchase using smartphones.

Nestlé will use the How2Recycle logo on select products to help keep its recoverable packaging out of the landfill. The program currently has more than 40 member companies including The Clorox Company, Kimberly-Clark, Sealed Air, and others.