Across the globe, brands are trying to make labels transparent and straightforward. Green labels that note the sustainability of goods are on one such effort.

A British supermarket giant, Tesco, had even planned to develop a universal carbon footprint labeling initiative that would tell shoppers what impact the product had on the environment. Products, ranging from milk to toilet paper, would be embossed with a logo that displayed their carbon footprints.

However, after researching the costs and impact of the progressive program, Tesco decided to opt out, Smart Planet reports — much to the disappointment of many environmental groups.

"The annual sales value of goods carrying the label is some [$4.7 billion]. We are clearly disappointed that Tesco has decided to phase out over time the use of the label on cost grounds," a spokeswoman from Carbon Trust — one of the many environmental agencies supporting the initiative — told the news source.

Still, a number of eco-friendly labeling initiatives exist — so many that some companies have begun "greenwashing" their products with relevant stickers to make their businesses seem more supportive of the environment.