Lost in Labels?

I like to think that when I buy things, I am conscious of choosing items that are less harmful to the environment. I choose things like "organic" shampoo and "eco safe" household cleaners. After learning about a concept known as "greenwashing" in my Eco Rep class, (greenwashing is when companies put labels on their products which make them sound as if they are safe or environmentally friendly when that is not really the case), I realized that I never actually stopped to learn if the products I buy that have these kinds of labels are truly reliable. While reading an article recently, "Greenwashing" by Richard Dahl, I discovered that there is a website in which you can search by label, category, or certifier to find out how meaningful different labels are. What's the point of buying the more expensive, "environmental safe" version of a product if it's just as bad as the regular one? It's important to know which labels to believe and which ones are scams.

This sparked my curiosity so I decided to explore the website. I highly recommend checking it out:
http://www.greenerchoices.org/ecolabels/

If you've been grocery shopping
before, you've probably seen this
label on food packaging.

 I was very pleased to learn from the Greener Choices website that the USDA Organic label is meaningful and verified, because I buy a lot of food with this label on it. In order to meet the standards for the product to display the USDA certification, the product must contain at least 95% organic ingredients. For food, the USDA standards are strongly enforced. However, the website points out that cosmetics with the USDA label are less reliable because there is less consistency and enforcement of standards.

One thing to watch out for that is shown on the website is the "100% Vegetarian" label. This label doesn't actually get certified by any organization, the companies themselves can choose to put it on without meeting any standards. Since there's no official criteria for a product to be advertised as vegetarian, products with this label may even be tested on animals or contain animal-derived substances.
This really frustrated me. I don't think it's right for companies to be able to slap any vague claim onto their products. They are misleading us as consumers. My goal is to put more research into the actual value of the certified "sustainable" products that I buy so I know exactly what it is that I'm paying for. I won't let them greenwash me!