The Green Certification Process
Third-party evaluation removes the guess work
by Mike Sawchuk .Earlier this year, a study by TerraChoice Environmental Marketing entitled “The Six Sins of Greenwashing,” tried to ascertain the extent that “greenwashing” plays in everyday consumer products deemed environmentally friendly. Greenwashing is defined as “the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service.”
The study identified 1,018 consumer products bearing approximately 1,750 environmental claims and found that, except for one product, all of them had false or misleading claims. These misrepresentations were the result of vagueness of language, lack of independent verification, the stating of partial truths or undeclared trade-offs. At best, most products were less bad rather than actually good for the environment.
One thing realized is that the expression “buyer beware” is alive and well when it comes to many so-called Green products. The findings also point out the value of third-party, independent certification.
When a product has been certified by such an organization, the Green confusion is laid to rest. The purchaser, whether buying for the home or for a commercial facility, is assured that the product has been thoroughly evaluated and that it is made from ingredients that have a significantly reduced impact on the environment when compared to similar non-Green products.
The Certification Process
There are a number of highly respected certification bodies [see Sidebar], that follow a similar method when it comes to analyzing a product and determining if it deserves the designation “Green certified.” The usual procedure follows this path:
1 The manufacturer starts by presenting the product and its features and benefits to the certifying organization. The manufacturer identifies the product’s category [window cleaner, furniture, building material, etc.] and why the product should be designated as environmentally preferable based on the ingredients or materials used, or other factors that help it have a reduced impact on the environment compared to similar products.
2 Once the product has passed this hurdle, the manufacturer is referred to independent, accredited laboratories that do the actual testing and evaluation. At times, more than one laboratory may be involved in the evaluation process of a product.
3 The laboratory’s job is to verify that the environmental impacts of the ingredients as well as the overall performance of the product meet each specific requirement. In addition, it ensures that the ingredients in the product are exactly the same as stated by the manufacturer and that the product meets ISO [International Organization Standardization] quality
control standards.
4 The laboratory report is submitted to the certifying organization along with all pertinent information about the product. If it is determined that the product is eligible for Green certification, a site audit is conducted.
5 The site audit confirms that the information provided by the laboratory and the manufacturer is accurate. Additionally, the audit attempts to trace the development of the product from its inception to be sure that the entire production process is environmentally sound.
6 If the product passes all of these steps, it is designated Green and may use the certifying organization’s label or similar marking on the product label and in marketing materials.
It should be noted, however, that this is not the end of the process. Certification doesn’t last indefinitely. In order to determine that the product continues to meet certification standards, random audits are conducted to verify that the product is still manufactured according to the criteria that earned it Green certification. Additionally, annual or regular recertification is required.
And if the Green criteria for the product category changes and becomes more stringent, for example, the product may need to be reengineered to meet the new guidelines and then recertified. Normally, the criteria are enhanced every few years and all products must prove they meet the new standards.
Further, some industries have not turned to independent certifying organizations but have developed industry standards and testing procedures which are very similar. A good example is the Carpet and Rug Institute’s [CRI] Green Label program for vacuum cleaners.
CRI conducts the actual tests at their laboratories. Manufacturers are told how the tests will be conducted and what protocol and criteria must be met. Although this is not as third-party as sending the machines out to an independent laboratory, the organization and the procedure are so well-respected that the program and their testing results are honoured throughout the industry.
Benefits of Certification
Certification signals that the product has been independently tested, evaluated, and proved to have a reduced impact on the environment as well as the health and safety of building occupants, when compared to comparable conventional products.
When choosing Green products, however, performance and cost should also be brought into consideration. A product may be much more environmentally responsible than similar products, but if it does not perform well or costs considerably more than other products in its category, its Green endorsement will have minimal benefit. Performance and cost effectiveness are thus crucial to help move buyers from conventional products to those that are Green certified.
Long-Term Impact
The most significant benefit of Green certification is an end to confusion. All of the “sins” have been eliminated because the product has been tested by a recognized, independent, third-party laboratory and the information verified by an accredited organization and found to meet current Green criteria.
Certification also helps the manufacturer. Although some manufacturers in the past may have intentionally misguided consumers about their product’s Green claims, and some today are still guilty of the Sin of Fibbing, many manufacturers over the years designated their products as Green by using the most reliable criteria of the day. Unfortunately, however genuine their efforts, their claims were not always accurate or recognized by other environmental advocates. Independent, third-party certification eliminates this problem.
The confusion surrounding Green qualifications has often made manufacturers hesitant to pursue developing Green products, but now, with the established and universally accepted parameters and guidelines of certification, more products with reduced impact on the environment are likely to come to market.
The clarity derived from Green product certification has proved to be a guiding light for manufacturers and promoted trust among buyers. As a result, the market is demanding more and better Green products, and manufacturers are stepping up to meet this demand, both helping to spur the movement forward dramatically.
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Green Product certifiers
Cradle to Cradle
Provides certification for a variety of building and consumer products, including office chairs, some cleaning products, and carpet.
EcoLogo Program
Managed by TerraChoice environmental marketing, this organization certifies hundreds of products, including appliances, home improvement products, and cleaning supplies.
Energy Star
Certifies a variety of products according to the energy they use, including home entertainment, computers, laundry and kitchen appliances, and more.
Green Label and Green Label Plus
Administered by The Carpet and Rug Institute, these certifications identify products with very low VOC emissions.
Green Seal
An independent, non-profit organization that provides science-based environmental certification standards for anything from cleaning services to paints.
GreenGuard
Certifiers of many green products, including furniture, paint, flooring and insulation.
Certified Sustainable carpet
Sustainable Carpet Assessment Standard [SCAS or NSF-140-2005] evaluates the environmental impacts of carpet for its entire lifecycle, from manufacturing to reclamation, renewable energy use to social equity.
Forest Products
The Forest Stewardship Council [FSC] provides the sustainable forest management principles supported by the Canada Green Building Council and identified in LEED documentation. Its widespread introduction into Canada has been slowed by FSC’s own limited certification infrastructure, the cost of the certification process and ongoing monitoring, and by the lack of aboriginal treaties that would ensure full representation of all stakeholders in the certification process.
Nonetheless, Canadian forest management practices are widely held to be among the most advanced in the world, and around 90% of the country’s commercial forests are independently certified as sustainable by third party organizations such as the Canadian Standards Association [CSA,certifiedwood.csa.ca; no www], FSC and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative [SFI, www,sfiprogram.org].
CSA, SFI and FSC all have ‘chain of custody’ labelling systems that can trace the origin, harvesting and processing history of individual timbers.
Scientific Certification Systems [SCS]
An independent, third-party certifier that administers FSC certification as well as other environmental certifying systems on a variety of products.
SmartWood
The largest FSC certifier of forestlands. Look for their seal of approval on wood, paper, and forest products.
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