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Green Certification

Indoor Air Quality

Environment / Conservation / Sustainability

Green Cleaning

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1. We hear a lot about Green “Certified” Products. What does this mean, who and how are products certified?
2. We are very concerned about the ingredients in floor care chemicals. Are their Green-certified floor care products available?
3. We hear a lot about Green certification.  But how exactly is a product certified Green?


Question#1: We hear a lot about Green “Certified” Products. What does this mean, who and how are products certified?
There are two major and universally recognized Green certification organizations in North America: Green Seal® and The EcoLogo™ (Environmental Choice) Program. These third party, independent organizations have similar criteria, which must be met by independent, third party laboratories. Regardless of Criteria, for a product to be Certified, in most case it means that the product:
  • Has a reduced impact on the environment and is proven safer for people (product users, building occupants, and visitors) when compared to similar products used for the same or similar purpose
  • Depending upon the criteria, the product is or has ingredients that are rapid-biodegradable and non-toxic
  • Performs as well as, if not better than, a comparable non-Green product
  • Does not include (or has considerably fewer) harmful ingredients, such as Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, which can harm glands, hormones, and many body functions
  • Does not contain hazardous by-products
  • Is packaged in recyclable materials
  • Meets all safety standards for use of the product
  • And much more
The Process

For a product to be certified by Green Seal or EcoLogo, it must undergo a rather extensive testing, evaluating, and verification procedure. The manufacturer must inform the certifying organization why the product should be certified and in which product category the product belongs. Different categories, such as floor care products, general cleaners, hand soaps, and other products have different criteria that must be met.

Once accepted, most certifying organizations do not perform the actual testing and evaluation of the product. Instead, the manufacturer is provided a list of accredited laboratories that verify the product’s potential effects on the environment, such as rate of biodegradation, aquatic toxicity, skin sensitization, etc.

The certification organization requires the complete formula and a MSDS for every ingredient in the formula. They need from the manufacture the independent lab reports that verify the product meets or exceeds all their specific Green criteria for that product.

The manufacturer submits these reports along with any related materials for review. If the product passes the initial tests and analysis, the certifying organization involved usually conducts a site audit to confirm that the information provided by the laboratory is accurate, as well as inspect the production facility to verify that it meets specific ISO and quality control standards.

If the audit and all other inspections and evaluations prove satisfactory, the product is Green certified. However, it must be noted, certification is only for a set period. The product must be verified annually that is still meets the criteria.

In addition, changes to criteria are made every 2 to 3 years and then the product must be evaluated and proven to meet the new, more stringent criteria. In addition, if the manufacturer changes the formula in any way, the product must be proven to be as safe as the previous formula.

If you require the specific criteria by product category, go to www.environmentalchoice.com or www.greenseal.org
 
Question #2: We are very concerned about the ingredients in floor care chemicals. Are their Green-certified floor care products available?
Yes. Just in the past couple of years manufacturers have introduced floor care products that have been certified by either Green Seal® or The EcoLogo Program™. Many of these products are just as effective as traditional products, cost competitive, and require no fundamental changes in floor care procedure or care. There are very legitimate reasons why we all should be concerned about traditional floor care chemicals. For instance:
  • Floor finishes and strippers are typically some of the harshest chemicals used in cleaning
  • These products can cause irritations, headaches, and burns
  • Permanent eye and organ damage have occurred using floor care chemicals
  • Six out of every 100 cleaners are injured on the job, often because of using conventional floor care chemicals
  • From 1993 to 1997, 12 percent of work-related injury cases in four major states were associated with floor care products.
Many traditional floor care products contain high levels of VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) that can harm Indoor Air Quality (IAQ). For example, 2-butoxyethanol, a common ingredient found in strippers, is considered a potential human carcinogen that can easily be absorbed through the skin, breaking down red blood cells and damaging internal organs, as well as being a suspected learning and respiratory toxicant. And zinc, used to make floor finish more durable for UHS burnishing and produce the "wet look," can be toxic to aquatic life.

In addition to selecting Green-certified floor care products, facility managers and cleaning professionals should take these steps to protect their health as well as the health of the environment:
  • Get the full ingredient MSDSs and read them very carefully. Watch out for carcinogens or reproductive toxins. Compare them to safer alternatives.
  • Select products that do not contain zinc or heavy metals.
  • Look for VOC levels that are less than 7 percent at use dilution.
  • Limit or eliminate where you can APEs (NPE or OPE), aqueous ammonia, MEA, ethylene glycol monomethyl ether (EGME), ethylene glycol monoethyl ether (EGEE) and 2-butoxyethanol.
  • Check that the total phosphorous concentration is less than 0.5 percent.
 
Question #3: We hear a lot about Green certification.  But how exactly is a product certified Green?
Excellent question.  After all, we trust and depend on certification organizations to do the homework for us.  When these organizations certify a product, we know that it meets the following requirements:
  • Has a reduced impact on the environment when compared to similar products used for the same or a similar purpose
  • Has ingredients (or a greater number of ingredients) that are biodegradable and non-toxic
  • Performs as well as, if not better than, a comparable non-Green product
  • Does not include (or has considerably fewer) harmful ingredients, such as Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), carcinogens, and endocrine disruptors, which can harm glands, hormones, and many other body functions
  • Does not contain hazardous by-products
  • Is packaged in recyclable materials
  • Meets all safety standards for use of the product

Certification Process
The procedure for product certification can differ depending on what it is and how it is used.  For this explanation, let’s suppose that we are a manufacturer of an all-purpose cleaner and now want to get it certified.  The steps we must take are as follows:

  • Apply for certification to one of the leading certification organizations, such as EcoLogoM or Green Seal®, and note which one category the product should be classified under.  In this instance, it would be classified as an all-purpose or multi-purpose cleaning product.
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  • We will be instructed to have the product and its ingredients analyzed by an accredited laboratory in our locality. 
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  • Once the analysis is complete, assuming the product has passed the test, the lab results and all pertinent information about the product are sent to the certifying organization.
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  • Once the organization has analyzed the information, they will visit our manufacturing facility to verify that all the product’s listed ingredients are in fact the ones used and no others.  Also, they will review how the product is packaged, to make sure recyclable materials are used.
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  • If certified, we are then allowed to post an EcoLogo mark or Green Seal label on our all-purpose cleaner as well as related marketing materials and packaging.
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  • Expect the unexpected.  Once our product is certified, we will be told that the certification organization may visit our manufacturing plant at any time and re-investigate how the product is made, its ingredients, and packaging.  These are known as “unannounced audits.”   
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  • The certification is not finite. Usually, the product will have to be re-certified in two to three years.  In that time, the criteria may change, which means the product must be reevaluated in order to be Green certified again.