Feb 25 2010
Intertek the leading provider of quality and safety services to a wide range of industries announced today a new Environmental Certification Program for building products manufacturers desiring credibility and the competitive advantage of third-party certification of products’ environmental attributes. The program encompasses a range of furniture and building products, and validates attributes such as, recycled content, solar reflectance, emissions, and energy efficiency. Manufacturers that meet the stringent requirements of Intertek’s Environmental Certification process are awarded Intertek’s Green Leaf Mark and label scheme for use on product, packaging and promotional materials.
“We realized an urgent need for a well-designed and operated certification program that helps retailers, and manufacturers of building materials verify environmental credentials,” said Deg Priest, Global Senior Director Building Products, Intertek. “This program was designed to create an eco-label that is meaningful, trustworthy and valuable to the entire supply chain, from manufacturers and retailers of building materials, to purchasers, specifiers and consumers.”
A 2009 Deloitte study of more than 6,000 consumers on buying patterns related to sustainability (or green) product attributes concluded that confusion among consumers remains widespread because of the breadth and complexity of the sustainability movement. Other recent studies have shown environmental products are coming under scrutiny by regulators and becoming a growing source of distrust by consumers. “Greenwashing”, or making claims of insignificant or inappropriate environmental credentials to confuse the marketplace, is becoming a growing problem in the building products industry. Advocacy groups and consumers are looking for proof to validate environmental claims.
Intertek’s Environmental Certification Program aims to eliminate the confusion in the eco-labelling marketplace, and covers a wide range of materials, such as building products and furniture, to floor coverings, roofing materials and much more. From web pages, product packaging, and in-store displays, to product advertising and literature, Intertek's Green Leaf Mark provides third-party validation that a product has been independently tested and found to conform to the Environmental Certification process.
Under the program, Intertek will evaluate each product based on a variety of attributes, from percent recycled materials to the presence of dangerous compounds, all according to nationally and internationally recognized test standards. The certification process consists of five distinct features, test plan creation, initial plant inspection, creation of Quality Control Manual, performance verification tests, and quarterly plant audits.
Source: http://www.intertek.com/