How green is green?


Chris Wakefield, Vice President, European Marketing & Product Development at GOJO Industries-Europe Limited, says third-party certifications play a vital role in ensuring ‘greenwashing’ is avoided.


The increasing awareness of, and importance given to, sustainability means that companies may make a host of claims about how green their products are to attract custom. For those who aren’t experts in green chemistry, knowing which assertions they can believe can be difficult.


"Certifications involve auditing companies’ operations to


ensure products are being made in sustainable ways."


When companies make statements about how green their products are, they must be able to back them up. If they can’t, it is damaging for everyone who is trying to ensure products are sustainable. Talking to our customers – and by monitoring our sales – we see increasing interest in products that have third-party certification. Customers need to know the products they choose support their own sustainability objectives. This means there is a growing expectation that products deliver ‘human and environmental health benefits’ as well as the desired levels of performance.


With this verification in mind, customers don’t need to be experts in green chemistry. They can choose better options for human health and the environment with the knowledge that highly respected, third-party organisations have taken a science-based approach to verify the products’ effectiveness, safety profiles, and environmental benefits.


The certifications also involve auditing companies’ operations to ensure products are being made in sustainable ways. To really meet this aim, the entire lifecycle of the product, from raw material selection to end of life, should be taken into consideration.


Exacting standards It is not straightforward to gain third-party certifications. At


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GOJO, we have a regulatory team which collaborates with our project teams and product managers to design and assess our products against external standards, and manage the certification process with the relevant agencies.


When we decide to pursue product certifications, we determine which are the most valuable, then we develop the product within the requirements and work with the third-party organisation to provide the necessary documentation, testing, and feedback required for approval. In 2016, 39.6% of GOJO global sales were from our third-party certified products.


Labels to look for


Watch out for products that are EU Ecolabel certified. EU Ecolabel is a voluntary programme, established in 1992 to encourage businesses to market products and services that are kinder to the environment. The EU Ecolabel is the official environmental label in the United Kingdom and the European Union. Products which meet the Ecolabel standards carry the Flower icon.


Other initiatives to be aware of include The ACM Greener Path Awards. These were created to celebrate the work of businesses across the UK in reducing the impact they have on the environment. With ‘waste’ the key focus, efforts and achievements in minimising waste, boosting recycling and increasing diversion of waste from landfill are closely reviewed, helping ensure you can tell the company cares about the whole lifecycle of a product and not just about a green label.


Furthermore, the awarding body looks for innovative and sustainable ways businesses are handling their waste streams, encouraging ongoing improvement. GOJO has recently been awarded the Greener Path Award for the third year running.


By choosing products that are verified by third-parties, buyers can purchase in confidence, knowing their choice is sustainable. We can’t all be experts in sustainable science, but we can all do our bit by choosing green products to support a healthier environment.


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