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| Greenwash is the practice of inflating a company’s environmental practices or the environmental benefits of a product or service. Greenwash claims are typically vague, inflated or irrelevant. You might read or hear ambiguous but beguiling assertions such as environmentally-friendly, green, essentially non-toxic, eco-safe, 100% natural, or Earth smart. |
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| The prudent approach to green purchasing is to rely on scientifically-based, third-party certifications. These standards exist to help specifiers and purchasers evaluate environmental characteristics of products, solving the ambiguities by using science-based yet user-friendly tools to measure and communicate environmental impacts. Third party certification that is granted by an independent organization with expertise to assess and verify a company’s compliance with standards is needed. It is used generally as the basis for several emerging components in the global products information system. These key tools are product Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Sustainable Product Standard (SPS), and Environmental Product Declaration (EPD). |
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| The Green Standard developed a Matrix of Product Certification Programs that identifies various certification programs currently in use by architects and designers and provides an assessment of which of the key requirements outlined by the American National Standards Institute and the International Standards Organization is met. In particular, the Matrix indicates whether the Product Certification Program requires or gives credit for an LCA. |
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| Product life cycle assessments and certification programs both provide a reliable basis for evaluating the environmental and sustainability performance of products. Moreover, using both together provides the most scientifically robust approach to product specification and purchase. |
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However, the most comprehensive, holistic tool available today is an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) as it integrates diverse product performance information into a single document and references the certifications achieved by that manufacturers and brand product.
Environmental Product Declarations are the key component in the emerging global product information system. An EPD provides specifiers and purchasers with a range of product performance information, including all the data in a third-party certified Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), as well as data pertinent to human health, mechanics and safety. Moreover, they may ultimately include information on life cycle costs and other aspects of a product’s performance over its life cycle. |
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| In essence, a holistic, scientifically-based evaluation of a product is the basis for serious green purchasing. Given the magnitude of a building’s impact on environment, the decisions by architects, interior designers and other building professionals can have a significantly positive environmental benefit. Competent professionals educated on the systems behind green purchasing are crucial in guiding decision-making on eco-safe product procurement. |
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| Click here for information on advancing your green purchasing knowledge. |
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