GREEN
KATIE BARNES, MANAGING EDITOR, SPA BUSINESS
BEING GREEN
Ecocert’s Being label is the fi rst consumer-facing certifi cation for eco-friendly spa facilities. We talk to Valerie Lemarie, general manager of Ecocert Greenlife
W
ith more than 30,000 sup- plier clients in 85 countries, Ecocert is recognised world- wide for the certifi cation of
natural and organic food and food products, services and management systems. It’s also widely known in the organic cosmetics sec- tor, where under the Ecocert Greenlife division, it certifi es over 1,000 brands which, it says, represents 75 per cent of the market. Now, this specialist company has turned its attention to spa operations with the launch of its Being label to help consumers recog- nise high-quality spa facilities which are respectful of the environment. Having trialled the label in France, Ecocert is now looking to roll it out glob- ally. Valerie Lemarie, the general manager of Ecocert Greenlife reveals the details.
Why did you launch the Being label? More consumers are looking for wellness centres where they can experience ‘real wellbeing’ – relaxation using healthy, nat- ural products in a space/business that’s environmentally friendly. It’s diffi cult to quantify the demand, but
we know it’s a growing industry as cosmetic brands have created eco-friendly product
Ecocert is well known as it already certifi es over 1,000 natural and organic cosmetic brands, but this is the fi rst time it’s focused on spa operations
lines; many establishments offer organic/ natural treatments; and specialist websites, magazines (Organic Spa) and associations (the Green Spa Network) have launched.
How did you develop it? It took us two years in total. Ecocert already has certifi cations for golf, catering, forest management and other operations, but to form the technical criteria for Being, we put together a committee of 12 spa, wellbe- ing and hospitality professionals (see p50). Their input on quality of service, treatment protocols and staff management was a great help. We also sought feedback from the pub- lic about what they’d want the label to cover.
What diffi culties did you face? The main challenge was making sure the criteria met with the various regulations that are already enforced around the world – from health and safety protocols through to swimming pool, cosmetics and labour laws.
Eco products are just one part of the criterion
What’s the criteria? For Level 1 – Ecological Spa we have 50 basic criteria (see opposite) which focus on services/the condition of treatments (10); products purchased, used or sold by the
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spa establishments (13); and site manage- ment (27). Then spas at Level 2 – Excellence: Organic & Ecological Spa should meet all cri- teria at Level 1 plus six additional standards. Three of these should be based on exceed- ing the compulsory criteria, such as having more than one natural and organic prod- uct and treatment offering. The other three can be chosen by the spa and be specifi c to its operation, such as committing to using renewable energy sources like solar panels, or sourcing more products locally.
How does Being diff er to Green Globe’s spa benchmarks? Our’s is the fi rst standard to focus specifi - cally on spas – Green Globe is an adaptation of resort and hospitality management (see SB08/2 p74) – it’s also the fi rst to give guar- antees to the end-user.
What are the minimum requirements for site management? At the very least, spas should record water and energy consumption, the quantity of waste and identify areas for improvement. Various other criteria include effi cient insu- lation of heat experiences, use of low energy lights and regulation of water chemicals.
Spa Business 3 2013 ©Cybertrek 2013
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