What is a green product certification?
Certifications and standards work hand in hand to provide an immediate and reliable answer to the question, "Is this truly a green product?" Figuring out what a green building product should be, and then identifying specific products that meet that standard is much too difficult today. We at GreenHomeGuide believe green product certifications and standards have a critically important role to play in clearing up the confusion.
We need look no further than the organic foods industry to see the beneficial impact of environmental standards and certification. Since organic food standards first appeared (State of California in 1988) consumers have become more comfortable and confident shopping for them, and the market has grown from less than $1 million in 1980 to more than $5 billion in 2004.
A certification is assurance that a product complies with a recognized environmental standard. Unfortunately, there are few pervasive, well accepted environmental standards for green building products.
Listed below are descriptions of the certifications and standards which GreenHomeGuide endorses. Whether your concerns are energy efficiency, resource use, or indoor air quality, you will find rigorous standards in this list.
GreenHomeGuide is supporting these standards by referencing them in our directories; we hope to build greater public awareness of them. You can support them by asking retailers, service professionals, and manufacturers which of these standards their products meet.
Carpet & Rug Institute's Green Label Plus
Green Label Plus is an independent testing program that identifies carpets with very low emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Green Label Plus was developed through negotiation with the State of California to meet California's Section 01350 Specification (see below). The less stringent Green Label program, introduced in 1992, also includes standards for adhesives, cushion, and vacuum cleaners. The Green Label standard for adhesives limits emissions of Total Volatile Organic Compounds (TVOC), Formaldehyde, and 2-Ethyl-1-Hexanol.
Energy Star
Energy Star energy efficiency guidelines are set by the US Environmental Protection Agency and the US Department of Energy. There are Energy Star guidelines for many residential building products, including appliances, heating & cooling systems, lighting, roof products, and windows & doors.
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an independent, not for profit, non-government organisation. FSC sets standards that reflect agreed principles for responsible forest management, and accredits organizations which certify the achievement of those standards by specific forests or woodlands.
Greenguard
The Greenguard Certification Program is an independent, third-party testing program for low-emitting products and materials. Greenguard has developed standards for adhesives, appliances, ceiling, flooring, insulation, paint, and wallcovering products.
Green Seal
Green Seal is an independent, non-profit organization which sets standards for environmentally preferable products, conducts product evaluations, and certifies products meetings those standards. Green Seal meets the criteria of ISO 14020 and 14024, the environmental standards for ecolabeling set by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Green Seal's environmental standards for paints, household cleaners, and window products date to the mid-1990s, but are still useful baselines.
SCS Environmentally Preferable Product
Scientific Certification Systems has developed a certification program for Environmentally Preferable Products and Services (EPP) such as adhesives and sealants, cabinetry and casework, carpet, doors, flooring, paints, and wall coverings. This program complies with internationally recognized ISO-14000 standards, the US EPA guidelines for environmentally preferable products, and US FTC guidelines for responsible environmental labeling.
State of California's Section 01350
The primary goal of Section 01350 is to reduce the impact of building materials on indoor air quality and health in buildings. It covers guidelines for energy, materials, and water efficiency, indoor air quality (IAQ), nontoxic performance standards for cleaning and maintenance products, and sustainable site planning and landscaping considerations, among other measures. Section 01350 was originally developed in 2000 for the State's Modular Office Furniture Specification. Most recently it has been incorporated into the State's Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) criteria.
Unified Sustainable Textile Standard
Unified Sustainable Textile Standard is an emerging standard. The purpose of the standard is to provide a market-based definition for a Sustainable Textile, establish performance requirements for public health and environment, and address the triple bottom line, economic-environmental-social, throughout the supply chain. The Standard is inclusive, is based on life cycle assessment (LCA) principles, and provides benchmarks for continuous improvement and innovation.
USDA Organic
Rules implementing the U.S. Organic Foods Production Act were finalized in December 2000. The word "organic" on U.S. products means that the ingredients and production methods have been verified by an accredited certification agency as meeting or exceeding USDA standards for organic production. In addition to food, the final rule allows for certification of organically produced fibers such as wool, cotton, and flax. However, the processing of these fibers is not covered by the final rule. Therefore, goods that utilize organic fibers in their manufacture may only be labeled as a "made with..." product; e.g., a cotton shirt labeled "made with organic cotton."
Organic Trade Association
The Organic Trade Association has developed standards for the processing of organic fibers. OTA's organic fiber processing standards, approved January 2004, address all stages of textile processing, from post-harvest handling to wet processing (including bleaching, dyeing, printing), fabrication, product assembly, storage and transportation, pest management, and labeling of finished products. They also include an extensive list of materials permitted for, or prohibited from, use in organic fiber processing under the standards.
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