For Immediate Release

September 2009

STAMPS OF SUSTAINABILITY

Labels to Look for When Seeking Green Goods

North Olmsted, Ohio…From plumbing to produce, companies are doing all they can to make their products greener. But, trying to pick the “real” green products from the crowd can be an overwhelming decision to the average consumer. According to the website ecolabelling.org, there are more than 300 green labels – featuring everything from cosmetics and seafood to bird-friendly coffee. If you’re new to the green scene, how can you distinguish between all of the different sustainability standards? By studying up on some of the preeminent certifications, you can make more educated decisions when it comes to purchasing green goods.

“Some consumers believe that in order to ‘go green,’ they need to change every facet of their daily life,” said Jack Suvak, director of research for Moen. “But in reality, it’s much easier to take small steps and look for marks from key, recognized organizations and make responsible choices one at a time.”

Green Scene In the Kitchen

The kitchen has always been the social hub of the home – and now we’re spending even more time there surfing the web, doing homework, wrapping gifts… not to mention cooking and eating. Since we live so much of our life here, it’s a natural spot to begin making more environmentally responsible decisions. Fortunately, some of the most tenured green certifications began in the kitchen and include:

  • USDA Organic ()– The Organic Foods Production Act and the National Organic Program are intended to assure consumers that the organic foods they purchase are produced, processed and certified to consistent national organic standards. The labeling requirements apply to raw, fresh products and processed foods that contain organic ingredients. To use the term “organic,” a product must contain 95 percent organic ingredients.
  • Fair Trade Certified () – The Fair Trade certified mark guarantees consumers that strict economic, social and environmental criteria were met in the production and trade of an agricultural product. It’s usually associated with “green products” because being kind to the Earth and the Earth’s people go hand-in-hand. It’s the notion of “consuming with a conscious.”

Going Green In the Bathroom

The bathroom is a great room to tackle next; as you’re probably already making green choices here without even thinking about it. Things like turning off the water while brushing your teeth, taking shorter showers and using green cleaning products are all easy ways to begin taking steps toward a healthier, more sustainablefuture. But if you’re looking for stamps of sustainability in the bathroom, begin by looking at the following certifications:

  • WaterSense® () – WaterSense, a partnership program sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), makes it easy for Americans to save water and protect the environment. Currently, WaterSense certifies high-efficiency toilets and bathroom sink faucets.

As of January 1, 2009, Moen, the number one faucet brand in North America, announced that all of its lavatory faucets are now certified to meet WaterSense labeling criteria. This certification applies to collections within both the Moen® and ShowHouse® by Moen brands, offering products with water-saving benefits along with the same great performance, style and reliability consumers have come to expect. The faucets feature a 1.5 gallon per minute (gpm) flow rate versus the industry standard of 2.2 gpm – resulting in water conservation of up to 32 percent.

  • Energy Star () – Energy Star is a joint program of the U.S. EPA and the U.S. Department of Energy, designed to help consumers save money and protect the environment through energy-efficient products and practices. Initiated in 1992 to identify energy-efficient computers and monitors, the program has grown to include major appliances, office equipment, lighting, home electronics, and more. With the help of Energy Star, in 2008 alone, Americans saved enough energy to avoid green house gas emissions equivalent to those from 29 million cars – all while saving $19 billion on their utility bills.

In the bathroom, if you made the simple switch of using Energy Star qualified light bulbs, which use about 75 percent less energy than standard incandescent bulbs (and last up to 10 times longer!), you would save $30 or more in electricity costs over each bulb’s lifetime. Plus, Energy Star bulbs produce 75 percent less heat, so they’re safer to operate and can cut energy costs associated with home cooling.

Eco-Friendly Thinking Throughout the House:

If you’re ready to tackle more than just the kitchen or bath, and are prepared to spend a bit more time searching out green products, be on the lookout for these sustainability stamps:

  • EcoLogo™ () – Founded in 1988 by the Government of Canada but now recognized world-wide, EcoLogo is North America’s largest, most respected environmental standard and certification mark. EcoLogo provides customers – public, corporate and consumer – with assurance that the products and services bearing the logo meet stringent standards of environmental leadership. The EcoLogo Program is a Type I eco-label, as defined by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). This means that the Program compares products/services with others in the same category, develops rigorous and scientifically relevant criteria that reflect the entire lifecycle of the product, and awards the EcoLogo to those that are verified by an independent third party as complying with the criteria.
  • Green Seal®() –Founded in 1989, Green Seal provides science-based environmental certification standards for everything from coffee filters to air chillers. The seal appears on hundreds of products and services from major companies such as 3M, Benjamin Moore and Andersen Windows, and the number of major product categories covered by Green Seal standards has increased to more than 40.

“While there are literally hundreds of green certifications today, the good news is that it’s definitely becoming more ‘greenvenient’ to find environmentally responsible products for your home,” added Suvak. “And consumers can make their decisions slowly and rest assured that a number of organizations are seeking to create national standards moving forward… to make it even easier to be green in the future.”

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