What Eco Choice Aotearoa does

Eco Choice Aotearoa is New Zealand's official Type 1 environmental ecolabel, operated by the New Zealand Ecolabelling Trust, a non-profit organization established in 1989. The label certifies products and services across more than 30 categories under ISO 14024 standards, providing third-party verification of environmental claims for New Zealand businesses and consumers. The trademark is owned by the New Zealand Government and administered through the Ministry for Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport (MCERT), conferring an official status that distinguishes it from private certification schemes. The organization is a member of the Global Ecolabelling Network (GEN), which spans nearly 60 countries and enables international recognition of certified products.

The certification body operates on a fee-based model in which manufacturers and service providers pay for assessment, ongoing certification, and label usage rights, typically structured around multi-year contracts with category-specific fee schedules. The organization has certified more than 800 products from a diverse base of New Zealand businesses, including Ecostore, Pacific Steel, Pink Batts, FUJIFILM NZ, Trow Group, Equal Group, Will & Able, NZ Cleaning Supplies, Chemical Solutions, and Terra Lana. Operating costs are funded by certification fees, which are reinvested into standards development, technical assessment, and stakeholder engagement.

The management team comprises CEO Alex Eddington (effective May 2026), Operations Manager Kyle Downard, Head of Standards Tess McKenzie, and Engagement Manager Tracey Henderson, supported by a board chaired by Whio Luxon with six additional trustees. Recent strategic activity includes a 2021 rebrand from Environmental Choice New Zealand to Eco Choice Aotearoa, a 2025-2026 cycle of standards updates and new draft standards (including Portland Cement and Concrete), and partnerships with TCO Development for IT product mutual recognition and the Procurement Excellence Forum for buyer-facing tooling.

Name

Eco Choice Aotearoa

Legal name

New Zealand Ecolabelling Trust

Website

https://ecochoiceaotearoa.org.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Eco Choice Aotearoa is New Zealand's official Type 1 ecolabel, certifying products and services across 30+ categories under ISO 14024. Operated by a non-profit trust with government trademark oversight, it serves New Zealand businesses seeking credible environmental certification.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Certification Services

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (541620)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Fair Trade & Ethical Supply Chains (Certification, Traceability, Producer Support) (BPAGALAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Supply Chain Sustainability & Responsible Sourcing (SMETA, supplier ESG) (EUAHAJAE), Corrective/Preventive Actions (CAPA) & Continual Improvement Programs (EUAHAIAG)

Keywords

• Environmental certification services
• Ecolabel certification
• Sustainable procurement
• ISO 14024 Type 1 ecolabel
• Product certification standards

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Product and Service Certification Fees: Eco Choice Aotearoa generates revenue through certification fees charged to businesses seeking the Eco Choice ecolabel. Businesses undergo rigorous assessment against published standards and pay fees for initial certification and ongoing license maintenance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Eco Choice Aotearoa is New Zealand's official ecolabel, operated by the New Zealand Ecolabelling Trust, which certifies products and services against rigorous, science-backed standards and onsite audits under the ISO 14024 Type 1 framework. Businesses apply to have their offerings evaluated across more than 30 standards covering building materials, cleaning products, personal care, textiles, IT equipment, and professional services, paying certification and ongoing licensing fees to use the Eco Choice mark.

Product overview

Eco Choice Aotearoa is New Zealand's official ecolabel and Type 1 certification body (ISO 14024) operated by the New Zealand Ecolabelling Trust. The organization does not offer a unified software product but rather a portfolio of environmental certification standards and services. The core offering consists of approximately 30+ product and service certification standards (including Building Insulants, Carpets and Rugs, Cleaning Services, Concrete, Copying Machines/Printers/Scanners, Detergents, Flat and Long Steel, Paints, Paper Products, Personal Care, Plastic Products, Responsible Workplace, Textiles, TCO Certified IT products, and Wool Scouring Services) that businesses must pass to earn the Eco Choice mark. These standards are science-backed, undergo 60-day public consultation, and are recognized by Green Star ratings. Supporting tools include the Product & Service Finder for discovering certified products, the Sustainable Procurement Toolkit for procurement professionals, and Ecolabelling Explained educational resources. Currently there are two draft standards under review: Portland Cement and Portland Cement Blends (EC-42-25) and Ready Mixed Concrete/Pre-cast Concrete (EC-43-25). The organization also partners with TCO Development for mutual recognition of IT product standards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Aluminium Building Products Certification (EC-62-25) Type 1 ecolabel certification standard for aluminium building products used in construction, covering joinery, structural products, and architectural applications. Businesses must pass science-backed criteria and onsite audits to earn the Eco Choice mark; recognised by Green Star for 15 points.
• Animal & Pet Care Certification (EC-64-25) Certification standard for pet care products addressing environmental impact from wastewater loading and treatment in New Zealand's pet-owning households.
• Building Insulants Certification (EC-25-25) Certification standard for thermal and acoustic insulation products requiring responsible raw material sourcing and minimum recycled content, including wool scouring process controls and additive restrictions.
• Carpets and Rugs Certification (EC-63-25) Certification standard for wool and synthetic carpets and rugs with high recycled content requirements; includes modern slavery prevention requirements; recognised by Green Star for 17 points and US EPA.
• Cleaning Services Certification (EC-45-18) Certification standard for home and commercial cleaning services committed to minimizing environmental impact and prioritising health.
• Concrete Certification (EC-43-18) Certification standard addressing concrete production's emissions intensity, natural resource depletion, and leaching of dangerous additives, aimed at minimising environmental harm from this emissions-intensive industry.
• Construction and Demolition Waste Services Certification (EC-59-19) Certification standard setting guidelines for waste minimisation and resource recovery in construction and demolition; recognised by Australian and New Zealand Green Building Councils.
• Copying Machines, Printers, Scanners and Multifunctional Devices Certification (EC-24-17) Certification standard requiring products to meet energy efficiency standards, conserve resources through duplex printing and toner-saving modes, utilise recycled materials, be durable and repairable, and collect used products/consumables.
• Detergents and Cleaning Products Certification (EC-58-19) Certification standard addressing harmful chemicals in cleaning products including optical brighteners that don't biodegrade and are toxic to aquatic life.
• End of Life Services for IT Equipment Certification (EC-56-22) Certification standard for services that collect, sort, process, dismantle, and dispatch end-of-life IT equipment for reuse or recycling, including safe disposal.
• Flat and Long Steel Certification (EC-41-25) Certification standard for flat and long steel products addressing energy consumption, emissions, resource depletion, and water pollution; recognised by NZ Green Building Council for 16 Green Star points.
• Furniture, Fittings & Flooring Certification (EC-32-25) Certification standard for furniture, fittings and flooring products for homes and workplaces; recognised by Green Star for 15 points.
• Heating and Cooling Products Certification (EC-61-25) Certification standard addressing demand for HVAC products driven by higher living standards and extreme weather; recognised by Green Star for 10 points.
• Paints Certification (EC-07-25) Certification standard covering interior and exterior water-based paints, primers, varnishes and sealants; recognised by Green Star for 16 points.
• Paper Products Certification (EC-60-21) Certification standard ensuring responsible sourcing of raw materials, resource efficiency, waste minimisation, high recycled content requirements, and reduced chemical usage.
• Personal Care Products Certification (EC-29-20) Certification standard addressing ingredients impacting waterways, aquatic life, and human health; covers soaps, shampoos, skincare, cosmetics, and requires product stewardship schemes.
• Plaster and Plasterboard Products Certification (EC-19-22) Certification standard designed to address hazardous ingredients and encourage recycling and reuse in plaster and plasterboard products; recognised by Green Star for 14 points.
• Plastic Products Certification (EC-06-19) Certification standard for durable plastic products designed for multiple uses or long life, covering food containers, household products, playground equipment, and prohibiting phthalates, BPA, and microplastics.
• Portland Cement and Portland Cement Blends Certification (EC-42-19)

Quantifiable outcome

• Certifies products and services with combined annual revenue exceeding NZD$2 billion
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Global Ecolabelling Network (GEN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEco Choice Aotearoa is a member of the Global Ecolabelling Network, a membership of Type 1 ecolabels (ISO 14024) from nearly 60 countries. This membership provides international credibility and recognition for the Eco Choice ecolabel.
• Procurement Excellence ForumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the Procurement Excellence Forum to develop the Sustainable Procurement Toolkit - a framework and resources to help organisations buy better for people and planet.
• TCO DevelopmentcoreTechnology or IntegrationAffiliate programme for mutual recognition of standards. Through this programme, Eco Choice Aotearoa and TCO Development recognise each other's standards as reflecting international best practices in sustainability for IT products.
• New Zealand Green Building CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEco Choice Aotearoa standards are recognised by the Australian and New Zealand Green Building Councils, enabling certified products to qualify for Green Star building certification credits.
• Sustainable Business NetworkminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaboration with the Sustainable Business Network as part of Eco Choice Aotearoa's network of partner organisations working toward sustainable business practices in New Zealand.
• WasteMINZminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with WasteMINZ, the Waste Management Institute of New Zealand, as part of the organisation's collaborative network.
• Ministry for the EnvironmentcoreOthersThe Ministry for Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport (MCERT) owns the trademark for Eco Choice Aotearoa, providing government oversight and credibility to the ecolabel programme.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Good Environmental Choice Australia (GECA): Australia's Type 1 ecolabel (ISO 14024). Comparable as a regional peer in the trans-Tasman market with similar lifecycle assessment methodology, though primarily competing in Australia rather than New Zealand.
• Singapore Green Label: Singapore's official Type 1 ecolabel scheme. Comparable as a government-affiliated Asia-Pacific peer with similar pass/fail model and ISO 14024 alignment.

Direct peers

• Green Seal: US-based nonprofit Type 1 ISO 14024 ecolabel covering products, services, and facilities. Comparable as a mission-driven, science-based certification body with multi-year licensing fees and similar category breadth.
• Blue Angel (Der Blaue Engel): Germany's government-backed Type 1 ISO 14024 ecolabel, the world's first (1978). Directly comparable to Eco Choice Aotearoa as both are official national government-affiliated Type 1 ecolabels with rigorous pass/fail criteria and similar category coverage.
• EU Ecolabel: European Commission's official pan-European Type 1 ecolabel operating under ISO 14024. Directly comparable as a government-backed voluntary sustainability certification with comparable product category breadth and multi-year licensing model.
• Nordic Swan Ecolabel: Official ecolabel of the Nordic countries, ISO 14024-compliant, with rigorous lifecycle-based criteria. Comparable as a multi-country government-affiliated Type 1 ecolabel with strong brand recognition and procurement integration.

Others

• TCO Development: Swedish organization behind TCO Certified, a sustainability certification for IT products. Directly comparable as a partner (mutual recognition agreement) with Eco Choice, operating ISO-aligned lifecycle criteria for overlapping IT product categories.

Broad incumbents

• B Lab (B Corporation): Global certification for businesses meeting social and environmental performance standards. Comparable as a high-profile sustainability certification, though broader (whole-company) rather than product/service-specific, and operates a different model (verifications + impact assessments).
• UL GREENGUARD / ECVP: UL's portfolio of environmental certifications including GREENGUARD (emissions) and Environmental Claim Validation. Comparable as a broad certification incumbent offering verified sustainability claims across overlapping product categories, with global recognition.
• Cradle to Cradle Certified: Global multi-attribute sustainability certification covering material health, circularity, and social fairness. Comparable as an established third-party certification operating in overlapping product categories (building materials, personal care, textiles), though tiered rather than pass/fail.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Environmental-Choice-New-Zealand-108479654035438
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/eco-choice-aotearoa
• Instagraminstagram.com/eco.choice.aotearoa

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Eco Choice Aotearoa