LP 14 Assignment: Personal Green Certification Guide

Guidelines
 Be leary of products that claim to be free of a chemical or ingredient. Make sure the
product is free of any other ingredient that poses the same kind of risk.
 Make sure marketers who say a product is “non-toxic” have proof that the product is safe
for not only humans but also the environment. The product should specify what the non-
toxic claim applies to.
 Look for proof that a product will not harm the upper ozone layer and the air at ground
level if it claims to be “ozone-friendly” or “ozone safe”.
 Make sure the product gives an amount/comparison of how much less waste it is made
with.
 Products with seals and/or certifications should be backed up by solid standards and
give you enough information to understand what they mean. “A package also should tell
you about any connections the company has to the organization behind the seal, if a
connection might influence your opinion about the deal or certificate.”
 If a product is “degradable”, the company should have it listed with proof that the product
will completely break down and return to nature in a landfill with the time or rate it takes
to break down.
 If a product is listed as “compostable” on the package, it means the material can be
composted safely in home compost piles. The manufacturer should be able to prove the
material can be composted and if not, the manufacturer should tell you so.
 If the product lists it is recyclable or has the universal recycling symbol on it, it means the
product is recyclable. However, be aware of of your local recycling options.
 If a product lists that it was made with recycled content, look for specifics. These claims
may be about the product, the package or both. If the product or package isn’t made
completely from recycled materials, the label should tell you much of it is.
 When a package or product claims to me made with renewable materials, look for what
the materials are, why they’re renewable, and how much of the product is made with
renewable material.
 “If a manufacturer says a product is “made with renewable energy,” all, or almost all, of
the significant manufacturing processes should be powered by renewable energy, or by
non-renewable energy matched by RECs. If that’s not true, the manufacturer should tell
you how much of the process is powered that way.”

Information / questions to ask

Green Product Certifications
 What green product certifications does this product carry?

Ingredients
 Does this product contain any
o Acids?
o Phosphates?
o Glycols?
o Petroleum?
o Ammonia?

Key Features
 Is this product
o biodegradable?
o low VOC?
 o flammable or corrosive?
o neutral on the pH scale?
o low residue?

Certified Labels

USDA Organic

These products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. They are
also produced without using pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage
sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation. Both products grown in the United States and
imported from other countries must meet these standards.

NSF/ANSI 305: Personal Care Products Containing Organic ingredients

NSF International has published a new standard for personal care products containing organic
ingredients that follows the standards set by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).
NSF International has published a new American National Standard for personal care products
containing organic ingredients. The product must contain 70 percent or more of organic content
to comply with the requirements of the standard. “The NSF standard is designed only for
“contains organic ingredients” claims and allows for limited chemical processes that are typical
for personal care products but would not be allowed for food products.” The companies must
also state the exact percentage of organic content in order to comply with the standard.

C.A.F.E. Practices
C.A.F.E. or Coffee and Farmer Equity Practices “evaluates, recognizes and rewards producers
of high-quality sustainably grown coffee for Starbucks stores.” This is a green coffee sourcing
guideline that has third-party evaluation. C.A.F.E. Practices seeks to ensure sources
“sustainably grown and processed coffee by evaluating the economic, social and environmental
aspects of coffee production against a defined set of criteria, as detailed in the C.A.F.E.
Practices Guidelines.” Please see diagram below for more information.

Certified Green Restaurant®

The Green Restaurant Association Seal is an ecolabel for restaurants that have committed to
sustainability. “Standards include:
 10 Points in each of the Energy, Water, Waste, Chemicals, Food, and
Packaging
 100 Points for 2 Star Certified Green Restaurant® level
 175 Points for 3 Star Certified Green Restaurant® level
 300 Points for 4 Star Certified Green Restaurant® level
 Full Scale Recycling
 Styrofoam Free
 Annual Education”

ENERGY STAR: USA

“ENERGY STAR is a voluntary government-backed program dedicated to helping individuals

protect the environment through energy efficiency.” The national symbol for energy efficiency,
makes it easy for consumers to identify homes and commercial and industrial buildings that
have high-quality, energy-efficient products. Without sacrificing features or performance,
Energy Star is able to distinguish what is efficient and/or better for the environment. These
products that earn the mark meet strict energy-efficiency guidelines set by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency to prevent greenhouse gas emissions.
Sources

(n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ecolabelindex.com/ecolabel/NSFSustainabilityCertified

48 Eco Friendly Products You Can Buy Today to Stop Plastic Pollution. (2018, November 14).
Retrieved from https://www.onyalife.com/plastic-free/eco-friendly-products/

Committed to 100% Ethically Sourced. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.starbucks.com/responsibility/community/farmer-support/farmer-loan-programs

Organic Certification of Cosmetics. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.makingcosmetics.com/Organic-Certification-of-Cosmetics_ep_66.html

Shopping Green. (2018, March 13). Retrieved from https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0226-

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