(ARA) – From plumbing to produce, companies are doing all they can to make their products greener. But, trying to pick the truly green products from the crowd can be an overwhelming decision for the average consumer.

According to the Web site, ecolabelling.org, there are more than 300 green labels – featuring everything from cosmetics and seafood to bird-friendly coffee. If you’re new to the green scene, how can you distinguish between all of the different, sustainability standards? By studying up on some of the pre-eminent certifications, you can make more educated decisions when it comes to purchasing green goods.

“Some consumers believe that in order to ‘go green,’ they need to change every facet of their daily life,” says Jack Suvak, director of research for Moen. “But in reality, it’s much easier to take small steps and look for marks from key, recognized organizations and make responsible choices one at a time.”

Green scene in the kitchen
The kitchen has always been the social hub of the home – and now we’re spending even more time there surfing the Web, doing homework and wrapping gifts, not to mention cooking and eating. Since we live so much of our life here, it’s a natural spot to begin making more environmentally responsible decisions. Fortunately, some of the most tenured green certifications began in the kitchen and include:

USDA organic (www.ams.usda.gov)
The Organic Foods Production Act and the National Organic Program are intended to assure consumers that the organic foods they purchase are produced, processed and certified to consistent national organic standards. The labeling requirements apply to raw, fresh products and processed foods that contain organic ingredients. To use the term “organic,” a product must contain at least 95 percent organic ingredients.

Fair Trade certified (www.transfairusa.org)
The Fair Trade certified mark guarantees consumers that strict economic, social and environmental criteria were met in the production and trade of an agricultural product. It’s usually associated with “green products” because being kind to the earth and the earth’s people go hand-in-hand. It’s the notion of “consuming with a conscience.”

Going green in the bathroom
The bathroom is a great room to tackle next; as you’re probably already making green choices here without even thinking about it. Things like turning off the water while brushing your teeth, taking shorter showers and using green cleaning products are all easy ways to begin taking steps toward a healthier, more sustainable future. But if you’re looking for stamps of sustainability in the bathroom, begin by looking at the following certifications:

WaterSense
WaterSense, a partnership program sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, makes it easy for Americans to save water and protect the environment. Currently, WaterSense certifies high-efficiency toilets and bathroom sink faucets.

All lavatory faucets produced by Moen – the No. 1 faucet brand in North America – are now certified to meet WaterSense labeling criteria. This certification applies to collections within both the Moen and ShowHouse by Moen brands, offering products with water-saving benefits along with the same great performance, style and reliability consumers have come to expect. The faucets feature a 1.5 gallon-per-minute (gpm) flow rate versus the industry standard of 2.2 gpm – resulting in water conservation of up to 32 percent.

ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the EPA and the U.S. Department of Energy designed to help consumers save money and protect the environment through energy-efficient products and practices.

In the bathroom, if you made the simple switch of using ENERGY STAR-qualified light bulbs, which use about 75 percent less energy than standard, incandescent bulbs (and last up to 10 times longer!), you would save $30 or more in electricity costs over each bulb’s lifetime. Plus, ENERGY STAR bulbs produce 75 percent less heat, so they’re safer to operate and can cut energy costs associated with home cooling.

“While there are literally hundreds of green certifications today, the good news is that it’s definitely becoming more ‘greenvenient’ to find environmentally-responsible products for your home,” adds Suvak. “And consumers can make their decisions slowly and rest assured that a number of organizations are seeking to create national standards moving forward to make it even easier to be green in the future.”