| Green Seal is an organization that tests and evaluates products, awarding its "Green Seal of Approval" to products that cause less harm to the environment than other similar products and meet Green Seal's standards. These standards are set for specific product types. They have developed standards for more than 30 types of products, generally chosen because of the significance of those products' environmental impacts and the range of product options available in the product category. Green Seal circulates each proposed standard for review by manufacturers, trade associations, government officials, environmental and consumer groups, and the public, for 45-60 days, before making it final. It also consults with experts and with an advisory group of stakeholders. The Board of Directors' Environmental Standards Committee gives final approval of a standard. The standards are reviewed at least every three years, to incorporate any new information on changes in the market or technology.
Products are evaluated according to: their characteristics, lifecycle impacts (from manufacturing to disposal, including packaging), performance, and the environmental record of the facilities where they are manufactured. Green Seal conducts lab tests on products (often retaining UL for testing, when the manufacturer's data does not come from an acceptable lab), reviews information on production facilities' environmental violations, and inspects facilities.
Manufacturers can pay a fee to have Green Seal evaluate any of their product(s). If products do not meet Green Seal's standards, Green Seal will inform the manufacturer of the reasons and will work with the company to make the needed changes, if desired. Product submissions and test results are kept confidential. If products do meet Green Seal's standards, the manufacturer is granted the right to use the Green Seal of Approval mark on the product, its packaging, and in its advertising. Green Seal does annual monitoring to make sure that products they have certified still meet Green Seal standards. Green Seal has published an Office Green Buying Guide and publishes monthly "Choose Green Reports" on different product types. Over one hundred companies and organizations have paid an annual fee to join Green Seal's Environmental Partners Program, which involves pledging to buy recommended green products that meet their price and performance requirements.
Green Seal is working with "a major manufacturer" of household products to help the company design a line of environmentally preferable products. Green Seal also plans to work with federal government agencies to assist them in meeting their green procurement mandates
www.greenseal.org
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