In an increasingly educated marketplace, more and more consumers have become wary of “greenwashing” – a phenomenon whereby companies seek to appear more green than they actually are. The reasons for this are obvious. While most everyone would argue that “green” is more than a buzz word and plans to stick around, no one can deny the truth: green sells product. Fortunately for everyone, suspicion over what really qualifies for green is hardly without precedent. As early as the 1980s, the government as well as various nonprofits intervened to create a system for defining what is green and what is not.

In this blog alone, we’ve discussed the LEED certification program and its growing success amongst builders. What we haven’t discussed in detail are programs that critique and chart companies and distributors who claim green. This is exactly what the organization called Green Seal seeks to do (from their website):

“Green Seal works with manufacturers, industry sectors, purchasing groups, and governments at all levels to “green” the production and purchasing chain. We utilize a life-cycle approach, which means we evaluate a product or service beginning with material extraction, continuing with manufacturing and use, and ending with recycling and disposal. Products only become Green Seal certified after rigorous testing and evaluation, including on-site plant visits.”

Green Seal has a 20-year history to give itself credence. Since its inception in 1989, the Washington, D.C. based organization has remained nonprofit and committed to third-party inspection of companies and products that claim green. Currently, the big news for Green Seal is the announcement of its Company Certification Program, now in the pilot stage of development. On November 10^th, Green Seal issued a press releaseannouncing that the new program will allow manufacturers to “prove their sustainability claims to customers and stockholders with a new certification program that rewards the highest levels of environmental performance and leadership.” Much like the LEED certification system, the program gives companies Gold, Silver, or Bronze awards based on their performance. In addition, the program sets a new standard in holistic assessment of a company. The new program will consider factors as various as greenhouse gas emissions, water conservation, biodiversity impact and labor relations—and the list goes on. No longer will green standards exist in a vacuum of information, but rather will be included beside how the company behaves as a whole. Results will be based on “corporate-wide practices and environmental impacts, third-party environmental certification of the company’s products, and life-cycle assessment of the company’s key product lines.”

Proponents of the program say this represents a real step forward for green companies and products. As Arthur Weissman, Ph.D., President and CEO of Green Seal, said in the press release: “Our pilot Company Certification Program makes green corporate claims credible and provides real marketing power as manufacturers brand themselves in a sustainability-minded marketplace.”

For More info:

Green Seal’s website

Wiki on Certification of Green Products

Official business link to government information on eco-labeling

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