Green Seal
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| Formation | 1989 |
|---|---|
| Type | Non-governmental organization |
| Purpose | Environmentalism, sustainability |
| Headquarters | Washington, District of Columbia, USA |
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Chair
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Joanne Fox-Przeworski |
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Founder
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Rena Shulsky David |
| Website | greenseal.org |
Green Seal is a non-profit environmental standard development and certification organization. Green Seal's flagship program is the certification of products, services, restaurants, and hotels. The certification is based on Green Seal standards, which contain performance, health, and sustainability criteria.
The Green Seal is an ecolabel used by product manufacturers and services providers. The Green Seal Certification Mark is registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Green Seal is a U.S. member and co-founder of Global Ecolabelling Network (GEN), which consists of 28 international ecolabeling programs, including Germany's Blue Angel, the EU Ecolabel, and the Nordic swan. Green Seal meets the Criteria for Third-Party Certifiers of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the requirements for standard development organizations of the American National Standards Institute, and the principles for environmental labels of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO 14020 and 14024).
Since its founding in 1989, by Rena Shulsky David, Green Seal has developed environmental standards for hundreds of categories of products and services. Green Seal published a series of buying guides for purchasers in the 1990s (the Choose Green Reports) and at that time began providing technical assistance to Federal, State, and local governments and other institutions' environmental purchasing, operations, and facilities management. In the early 2000s, the certification program focused primarily on building maintenance. In 2006, the US Green Building Council LEED rating system included several Green Seal standards in their criteria. Practice GreenHealth, the AASHE STARS program, and the Green Ribbon Schools Program of the U.S. Department of Education, among others, reference Green Seal standards. According to a 2010 study by the Responsible Purchasing Network, the Green Seal was recognized by 95% of purchasers and used by 76%.
Products and services must meet the requirements in Green Seal standards in order to achieve certification. The standards are based on a life cycle approach, considering such impacts as those from raw materials extraction, manufacturing, use, and re-use or disposal. The evaluation process includes review of data; assessment of labeling, marketing, and promotional materials; and on-site auditing. Products or services become certified by Green Seal after these evaluations are completed. Regular compliance monitoring is required to maintain certification.
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