The newest version of the LEED® rating system includes a key update: Green Seal-certified cleaning products and materials can now help facilities earn more points toward LEED certification. The USGBC and federal government announcements are the most recent among hundreds of purchasing policies that use Green Seal as shorthand for proven-safer products.
Category: Green Seal Notice
Sanitary Paper Product Standard Revision: Lend Us Your Expertise
Green Seal is recruiting qualified applicants to join a working group that will assist with a revision to our GS-1 Sanitary Paper Products standard. We are looking for individuals that can provide technical and market expertise and have specialized knowledge of the paper industry, solid waste and recycling, and carbon benefits of alternative fibers (e.g., bamboo).
Announcing Green Seal’s 2023 Impact Report
In celebration of Earth Day, Green Seal released its 2023 Impact Report, showcasing how we and our partners are accelerating the transition to safer and more sustainable products and spaces. The report highlights the impacts of Green Seal’s programs; key partnerships with organizations including Amazon, Wayfair, the U.S. Green Building Council, ISEAL, Health Product Declaration
Green Seal Accepted as ISEAL Community Member
Green Seal is proud to announce that we are now an ISEAL Community Member, joining a prestigious, committed group of sustainability organizations that are driving positive social and environmental change.
Proposing a New Leadership Standard for Trash Bags & Can Liners
Green Seal is proposing a certification standard for trash bags and can liners to recognize products that use less virgin plastic while maintaining top performance. This standard introduces the new concept of plastic efficiency, which prioritizes the result – curbing virgin plastic use – over the method used to achieve it.
Green Seal Partnership with Amazon Climate Pledge Friendly Expands to EU
Green Seal’s partnership with Amazon Climate Pledge Friendly has expanded to the U.K. and the European Union. Amazon customers in the U.K., Germany, Italy, France, and Spain now see a “Climate Pledge Friendly” label on the listings for products certified by Green Seal.
The Healthy Green Schools & Colleges™ Standard
Update: The third public comment period for the Healthy Green Schools & Colleges Standard has ended. Green Seal and Healthy Schools Campaign are proposing several improvements to our Healthy Green Schools & Colleges™ standard criteria to clarify and consolidate standard criteria; better address differences between K-12 school districts and higher education institutions, and provide more flexibility for schools to implement measures that foster healthy indoor environments for students and staff.
Taking a Leadership Position on PFAS in Certified Products
Green Seal’s standards have long prohibited long-chain PFAS formally classified as hazardous. However, a growing body of evidence indicates that short-chain PFAS known as “safer substitutes” have the same harmful health and environmental effects as the legacy PFAS they are replacing. Green Seal’s newly expanded prohibition on all PFAS in certified cleaning and personal care products promotes safer options for consumers and recognizes industry leaders who are taking important steps to protect human health and reduce environmental pollution.
Announcing Green Seal’s 2022 Impact Report
As we cautiously and hopefully emerge from the worst of the pandemic, the twin pillars of health and environmental sustainability that Green Seal has stood for over the past 30-plus years are more in demand today than ever before. In the 2022 Impact Report, we are proud to highlight the impactful initiatives and partnerships that are making it simpler for consumers, parents, business owners and others to choose healthier, safer products and services with confidence.
Sustainable Packaging: Lend us Your Expertise
Green Seal is recruiting qualified applicants to join a Sustainable Packaging Stakeholder Advisory Group. We are looking for individuals that can provide technical expertise in packaging design and manufacturing, recycling, or corporate sustainability as we develop criteria for a sustainable packaging program that will recognize leadership among producers of consumable products.
The Safer Way to Clean and Disinfect Your Home
Anxiety about the spread of the COVID-19 virus has led households to significantly increase their use of cleaning and disinfecting chemicals throughout the pandemic. Though well-intentioned, these habits can expose households to toxic chemicals, ultimately causing more harm than good. By learning how to choose safer products and understanding when disinfecting is appropriate, you can guard against viruses and other germs while also protecting your home’s indoor air quality and the health and safety of your family.
Prohibiting PFAS Chemicals
Green Seal is proposing a new prohibition on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, a large class of chemicals that are commonly used in consumer products and associated with a number of adverse health and environmental effects. Green Seal is taking a multi-year phased approach to this initiative, with the end goal of ensuring all certified product formulas and product packaging are PFAS-free across product categories.
Eligible for Certification: Spray-Applied Microbial Cleaners
Green Seal has made important improvements to our standard criteria for microbial-based cleaning products to better recognize leadership in this popular product category. These updates allow Green Seal to verify important health protections while removing the restriction on spray-applied products. Now product manufacturers with spray-applied microbial cleaners can demonstrate that their products are formulated to be healthier, safer options for buyers.
Our New Standard is Defining Sustainability for Paints and Coatings
Green Seal’s Standard for Paints, Coatings, Stains, and Sealers (GS-11) has been rewarding leading manufacturers for low-VOC content, safer formulas, and effective functional performance since it was first issued in 1993. Now, Green Seal’s paint certification is the only mark in the marketplace to qualify products for both LEED v4.1 low-emitting materials credit requirements and Amazon’s Climate Pledge Friendly badge — making it simple for health-focused buyers to identify safer products.
A Healthy Indoor Air Standard for Schools
Unhealthy indoor air, inadequate ventilation, and chemical exposure from cleaning and maintenance routines are linked to poor concentration and test performance in students, adding preventable barriers to achievement. Green Seal’s updated standard sets additional and more substantial monitoring requirements; establishes the point system that will be used as the basis for certification; and provides more opportunities for schools to make healthier, safer choices.
