Learn more about trusted third-party ecolabels and certifications for sustainable goods and services.
Green Seal - Goods and Services
Develops life cycle-based sustainability standards for products, services and companies and offers third-party certification for those that meet the criteria in the standard. Areas of certification include:
- Household products
- Construction Materials
- Paints and Coatings
- Printing and Writing Paper
- Paper Towels, Napkins and Tissue Paper
An independent, non-profit certification program that promotes practitioners of effective, prevention-based pest control while minimizing the need to use pesticides. Evaluates and certifies both pest control professionals and buildings and facilities that meet high standards of Integrated Pest Management (IPM). Green Shield Certified professionals use advanced pest management practices to provide lasting, effective pest control. Green Shield Certified's standards offer the assurance of proven, effective pest control methods conducted by knowledgeable professionals.
Just a social justice label
The International Living Future Institute’s™ JUST™ program is a voluntary disclosure program and tool for all types and sizes of organizations. JUST is, quite simply, a call to social justice action.
It is not a verification or certification program. Rather, the program provides an innovative transparency platform for organizations to reveal much about their operations, including how they treat their employees and where they make financial and community investments.
LEED rating system for buildings
LEED is a third-party certification program and the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings. LEED gives building owners and operators the tools they need to have an immediate and measurable impact on their buildings’ performance. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.
There are currently nine LEED rating systems
- New Construction
- Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance
- Commercial Interiors
- Core and Shell
- Schools
- Retail
- Healthcare
- Homes
- Neighborhood Development
Rainforest Alliance
The Rainforest Alliance and Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN) require that all businesses buying, trading, or mixing products from certified farms must achieve SAN/Rainforest Alliance Chain-of-Custody certification in order to call their product Rainforest Alliance Certified. The comprehensive farm management standards and traceability system help ensure that certified ingredients and products bearing our little green frog seal can be traced back to well-managed farms or farm groups that protect workers, wildlife and communities.
RoHS (Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances) - Electrical and Electronic Equipment
These EU Regulations implement EU Directive 2002/95 which bans the placing on the EU market of new electrical and electronic equipment containing more than agreed levels of lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyl (PBB) and polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants.
As the U.S does not have a similar regulation this site can provide guidelines for specifying acceptable levels of these substances in products that we wish to buy.
Skin Deep: Skin Deep focuses specifically on personal care products including makeup, deodorants, soaps and shampoos, and baby products. Scientists at the Environmental Working Group review the ingredients listed on the labels of various products and apply a rating system with confidence intervals based on availability of data on the hazards of specific compounds. You can look up a product in their database or browse through a variety of categories for information on toxicity and health concerns.
Salmon Safe
Salmon-Safe is an Oregon-based nonprofit that certifies urban and agricultural operations based on the protection of water quality and native biodiversity. Founded by a leading U.S. river and native fish conservation organization, Salmon-Safe has certified more than 350 West Coast farms, vineyards, dairies, corporate campuses, and other sites based on riparian habitat protection, elimination of chemical pesticides harmful to fish, restoration of wetlands, reducing run-off into streams, and other conservation practices.
The Institute for Market Transformation to Sustainability (MTS) rates building products, lighting, fabrics, apparel, textiles and flooring. Its SMARTstandard reflects a manufacturer’s success in reducing more than 1300 pollutants; in using renewable energy as well as post-consumer recycled or organic materials; and in reusing materials to save energy, water, and other resources. Through this “life cycle assessment,” SMART encourages industries to achieve ambitious environmental goals that benefit society and the economy, too.
SmartWay - Transportation
In its simplest form, the SmartWay brand identifies products and services that reduce transportation-related emissions. However, the impact of the brand is much greater as the SmartWay brand signifies a partnership among government, business and consumers to protect our environment, reduce fuel.
TCO Certified is the global, independent sustainability certification for IT products. Using TCO Certified in IT hardware procurement helps purchasers identify products that are verified to meet leading environmental and supply chain responsibility criteria. Compliance is independently verified in accordance with ISO 14024.
WaterSense - Buildings | Electronics | Retail Goods |
Launched in 2006, WaterSense is an EPA-sponsored partnership program that seeks to protect the future of our nation's water supply by promoting water efficiency and enhancing the market for water-efficient products, programs, and practices. WaterSense partners with manufacturers, retailers and distributors, and utilities to bring WaterSense labeled products to the marketplace and make it easy to purchase high-performing, water-efficient products.
WaterSense also partners with irrigation professionals and irrigation certification programs to promote water-efficient landscape irrigation practices.
Third-Party Certifications: third-party certification means that an independent organization has reviewed the manufacturing process of a product and has independently determined that the final product complies with specific standards for safety, quality or performance. These labels don’t certify a product’s sustainability or quality overall, but are a good indicator that specific environmental claims have been verified. Green Seal, GreenGuard, and EPEAT are all examples of health and sustainability focused third-party certifications.
Veriflora: Veriflora is a certification program used in the flori- and horticultural industries. It applies standards based on resource conservation, sustainable crop production, and fair labor practices, among others. You can search for retailers by product or location on their website.
The Made in USA mark is a country of origin label indicating the product is "all or virtually all" made in the United States. The label is regulated by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).In general, goods imported into the United States must have a country of origin label unless excepted, but goods manufactured in the United States can be sold without any sort of "Made in the USA" label unless explicitly required. Requirements to label domestic content include automobiles and textile, wool, and fur products. Any voluntary claims made about the amount of U.S. content in other products must comply with the FTC’s Made in USA policy.
A Made in USA claim can be expressed (for example, "American-made") or implied. In identifying implied claims, the Commission focuses on the overall impression of the advertising, label, or promotional material. Depending on the context, U.S. symbols or geographic references (for example, U.S. flags, outlines of U.S. maps, or references to U.S. locations of headquarters or factories) may convey a claim of U.S. origin either by themselves, or in conjunction with other phrases or images.
Please note Assembled in the U.S.A. means that a product includes foreign made components that were shipped to the U.S.A. for assembly. For the "assembly" claim to be valid, the product's "last substantial transformation" also should have occurred in the U.S.A.
For more information please visit the following websites:
Federal Trade Commission
For a product directory go to Americans Working.org.
If you would like more information please contact your Sustainable Purchasing Coordinator, shawn.postera@multco.us/503-988-7995.