Green Seal’s Environmental Standards

& CertificationThe Role of Standards Setting Processes:

Defining "What is Green?" NPPR Webinar March 5, 2009

Mark T. PetruzziVP of Certification & Strategic Relations

mpetruzzi@greenseal.org

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About Green Seal, Inc.

• Celebrating 20th Anniversary - 1989-2009

• 501(c)(3) non-profit• Science-based• Environmental mission through

exclusive focus on environmentally responsible products and services

• Product standards and technical reports• Green Lodging Program• Institutional Greening Program• Meets ANSI, EPA, ISO, GEN criteria

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Third-party certifiers should meet the applicable guidelines

• ISO 14020 and 14024– Principles of Environmental Labeling– Principles and Procedures for Type I

Ecolabels• Global Ecolabelling Network (GEN)

membership criteria• GEN Internationally Coordinated

Ecolabelling System (GENICES, evaluation for conformance with ISO 14024)

• ANSI-accredited standards developer• EPA Guidelines for Third-Party Certifiers• Consumers Union criteria for “What makes a

good eco-label?”

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The Global Ecolabelling Network (GEN)

founded 1994, currently 26 member programs

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Commonalities Among Guidelines

• Voluntary participation• Run by organizations

without conflicts of interest• Standards process that

involves stakeholders & the public

• Criteria, assumptions, methods & data used are open & transparent (i.e., publicly available, easily accessed & understandable)

• Legally protected mark• Criteria based on

product/service lifecycle

• Open access to licensees of all sizes, all countries

• Authority to inspect manufacturing facility or service location

• Criteria that encourage products & services that are significantly less damaging to the environment (i.e., leadership, usually top 15-25% in category)

• Periodic review of criteria, considering technology & marketplace

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• Objective• Explicit• Science-based• Transparent• Life-cycle environmental & health

considerations• Include functional performance• Balanced stakeholder input• Attainable for leadership products or

services• Economically feasible

Principles of Green Seal’s Environmental Leadership

Standards

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Multi-Attribute, Life-Cycle Approach

• Raw materials extraction & processing• Manufacturing• Functional Performance• Packaging• Transportation• Use & Maintenance• End-of-life (disposal, recycling, reuse)

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How Green Seal SetsEnvironmental Standards

• Register stakeholders (including end users, manufacturers, trade groups, scientists, government, environmentalists, NGOs, others)

• Study category• Environmental Evaluation• Draft standard• Public review• Response-to-Comments• Stakeholder ballot*• Publish standard

* where appropriate

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Example Green Seal Criteria• Product Performance: To ensure products perform like

“conventional” products in the category and meet the expectation of users

• Environmental and Health Requirements: – Acute toxicity limits; skin and eye irritation; skin

sensitization and absorption limits; prohibited toxins (ex. carcinogens, mutagens, reproductive toxins, asthmagens); volatile organic compound limits; inhalation toxicity limits; bioaccumulation and eutrophication limits; aquatic toxicity limits; biodegradability; minimum concentration levels

• Packaging Requirements: – Packaging resource reduction; packaging type

requirements; prohibited toxins (ex. heavy metals, phthalates, chlorinated materials)

• Training and Labeling Requirements: To ensure the purchaser has access to accurate information to help them decide on products (e.g., presence/absence of an added fragrance) and use the products correctly (instructions for dilution, use, multi-lingual, use of graphic icons)

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ISO versus ANSI(not a sci-fi movie or pay-per-view boxing)

No substantive difference in Green Seal’s standard-setting procedures with one exception -

• ANSI procedures require consensus• ISO 14024 requires that “Reasonable efforts

should be made to achieve a consensus throughout the process.”

Why? Recognition that consensus is a reasonable expectation for certain types of standards (e.g., test methodologies, management/process standards, rating systems), whereas leadership environmental standards (e.g., life-cycle standards that a majority of products cannot meet) may find it difficult to achieve without “weakening” the standard.

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Green Seal Certification

• Rigorous science-based evaluation using explicit criteria• Products & services evaluated w/o bias or conflict of

interest• On-site inspections of product manufacturing facilities

or service locations (e.g., hotels, restaurants)• Includes review of ancillary materials (e.g., literature,

labels, catalogs, website) for GS, FTC, unsubstantiated env. claims

• Evaluation fees are fixed/flat, so Green Seal has no direct financial ties to certified products and services

• Certified products and services must participate in ongoing compliance monitoring to remain certified

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Green Seal “cleaning” standards

• GS-34 Cleaning/Degreasing Agents• GS-37 I&I Cleaners• GS-40 I&I Floor-Care Products• GS-41 I&I Hand Cleaners* (CCD-104)• GS-42 I&I Cleaning Services• GS-45 Plastic Resin Film Bags**• GS-48 Laundry Care Products**• GS-49 Residential Cleaning Services**• GS-1 Tissue Paper***• GS-9 Paper Towels***

* joint EcoLogo standard** under development, see www.greenseal.org*** under revision, see www.greenseal.org

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Why Use Environmental Standards in Purchasing?

• Type I (“seal of approval”) environmental labels used worldwide for 30+ years

• Principles and procedures for environmental standard-setting and third-party certification are well-established in international and domestic guidelines (with great agreement)

• Credible environmental standards and third-party certification can greatly reduce the effort needed for identifying, selecting and purchasing environmentally responsible products and services

• Recognized standards define “green” for purchasers & manufacturers in the context of current marketplace; help to aggregate demand

• Avoid debate over single attributes (biobased OR low VOCs – neither addresses performance)

• Use of credible environmental standards can provide insulation from complaints

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Contact Information

Green Seal, Inc. 1001 Connecticut Ave, NW Suite 827 Washington, D.C., 20036 Tel: (202) 872-6400 Email: greenseal@greenseal.org Website:www.greenseal.org

Thank You!