GS-11
PAINTS, COATINGS, STAINS, AND SEALERS
WHAT GREEN SEAL CERTIFIES
Green Seal’s GS-11 leadership standard means a paint, coating, stain, or sealer is verified as safer for human health and the environment compared to similar products while delivering uncompromising performance. The standard covers wall and ceiling coatings, anti-corrosive coatings, floor paints, primers, stains, finishes, and sealers intended for application to wallboard, tile, metal, wood, composite wood, concrete, stone, masonry, and terrazzo substrates, as well as other architectural substrates. Download the GS-11 full standard.
PERFORMANCE OF GREEN
All Green Seal certified products must demonstrate functional performance via an objective, scientifically validated method under controlled and reproducible laboratory conditions. Paints, coatings, stains, and sealers must meet ASTM standards in relevant areas such as adhesion, applicability, scrubbability, and washability.
SCIENCE OF GREEN
Our Green Seal Compass guides every certification. Our science-based standards define sustainability leadership in the marketplace and reward industry innovations. Only the healthiest, most responsible, and most effective products achieve the Green Seal. The Green Seal Compass focuses our standards on key impacts that occur throughout the product life cycle, from raw materials extraction and manufacturing to packaging, use and disposal.
| RESTRICTIONS TO PREVENT ADVERSE HEALTH EFFECTS | |
|---|---|
| Volatile Organic Compounds | Restricted to content level specified by CARB SCM 2007 for product type |
| Volatile Organic Compounds Emissions Testing | Product must undergo environmental chamber test and meet emissions limits for 35 target VOCs |
| Volatile Aromatic Hydrocarbons | < 0.5% by weight |
| Hazardous Air Pollutants | Prohibited above 100ppm |
| Ozone Depleting Compounds | Prohibited above 100ppm |
| Carcinogens | Prohibited above 100ppm |
| Mutagens | Prohibited above 100ppm |
| Reproductive Toxins | Prohibited above 100ppm |
| Alkylphenol Ethoxylates | Prohibited above 100ppm |
| Formaldehyde Donors | Prohibited above 100ppm |
| 1,2 Dichlorobenzene | Prohibited above 100ppm |
| Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate | Prohibited above 100ppm |
| Butyl benzyl phthalate | Prohibited above 100ppm |
| Di-n-butyl phthalate | Prohibited above 100ppm |
| Di-n-octyl phthalate | Prohibited above 100ppm |
| Diethyl phthalate | Prohibited above 100ppm |
| Dimethyl phthalate | Prohibited above 100ppm |
| Triphenyl tins and tributyl tins | Prohibited above 100ppm |
| Triclosan | Prohibited above 100ppm |
| Methylene chloride | Cannot be intentionally added at any level |
| Perchloroethylene | Cannot be intentionally added at any level |
| Phthalates | Must not be intentionally added to primary packaging |
| Antimony | Prohibited above 100ppm |
| Hexavalent Chromium | Prohibited above 100ppm and must not be intentionally added to packaging |
| Lead | Prohibited above 100ppm and must not be intentionally added to packaging |
| Mercury | Prohibited above 100ppm and must not be intentionally added to packaging |
| Cadmium | Prohibited above 100ppm and must not be intentionally added to packaging |
| packaging and end-of-life management requirements | |
|---|---|
| Packaging | Must either contain a minimum of 20% recovered material, be recyclable as part of a take-back program, or source-reduced |
| Labelling | Must provide instructions for appropriate purchasing and proper use to minimize waste |
| End-of-Life Management | Manufacturer must provide information to consumers on proper disposal, recycling opportunities for leftover product and packaging, and if offered, a take-back program |
| CRITERIA THAT HELP PRESERVE THE CLIMATE | |
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Many of the standards for human health and minimizing waste also help preserve the climate:
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A GREEN YOU CAN TRUST
All Green Seal-certified products must meet industry best practices for Quality and Safety.
Proper Use Training
Labelling
Safety Data Sheets
Our standards are referenced by the leading green building certification programs.
Latest Version: Edition 4.0, September 7, 2021
Recent Changes: GS-11 underwent corrections and/or clarifications and was re-published on April 30, 2021. For details on the non-substantive changes made to this standard, please see the Standards Documents Library.
Recent Revision: Green Seal updated the requirements for GS-11 to fully align with LEED v4 and 4.1. Visit Edition 4.0 in our Library to see a complete record of the standard criteria development process.
Download the Full Standard PDF