Getting a business green-certified can be resource-intensive, so business owners and sustainability executives should make sure the eco label they're pursuing is the best fit.
As the owner of a small media and e-commerce company that not only has earned green certification but also relies on eco labels to select quality products for its retail business, I’m happy to share my lessons learned about the different labels out there and the process of getting certified.
Some key questions to ask are: Which labels are most reputable and unbiased? How “independent” is the third party issuing the eco label? Does it have a vested interest the products being certified?
As a business owner or sustainability executive spearheading this effort, you'll need to make three primary decisions about which eco label -- or labels -- you want to obtain: whether the eco label is general or industry specific; what type of organization is the issuing party; and whether the label/certification applies to the entire company or just specific products.
General vs. industry specific
This decision depends on whether your company carries a wide range of products or if it is a manufacturer in a specific industry. Eco labels that cover a general range of products include Green Seal, Cradle to Cradle, Green America and EcoLogo.
Since my company, EcoPlum, is a retailer carrying eco friendly products from a range of industries, we elected to pursue the Green America certification. Manufacturers, though, should get certified by the “experts” in their field. So if your company makes personal care products, for example, then your products should be listed in the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep database. Likewise, car manufacturers will want to be listed favorably in EPA’s Green Vehicle Guide; makers of industrial and household cleaners may want to pursue the USDA Biopreferred seal of approval; and carpet manufacturers should be evaluated by FloorScore. For a more comprehensive list of eco labels by industry, please see this guide to eco labels.
Next page: How do you choose a certifier?
Every building should be
Every building should be green-rated. LEED, Earth Advantage, and some (not all) of the other national and local certification programs offer credible third-party recognition for commercial buildings. Selecting the right program (as would be the case if considering certification for other areas of interest - such as products, manufacturers, etc.) is an important decision, and depending on a project's size, location, budget, owner's goals and several other factors, one program might be a better fit than others.
Looking at the two leading national programs, LEED and Earth Advantage Commercial, let's consider two buildings:
250,000 mid-rise new office building
In my experience, LEED remains the tool of choice for large (>100,000 sf) buildings, since the soft cost hits can be leveraged successfully across the larger project and become a small percentage of the total cost. Energy modeling of a building this size also typically pays off.
50,000 retail center redevelopment
I would first look to Earth Advantage Commercial (EAC) for a project of this size and type, as projects under 70,000 sf can use a prescriptive package of energy efficiency measures, instead of an energy model (which typically starts to be worthwhile as projects get into the 70,000 range). Additionally, with a redevelopment, EAC can assess the relative impact of addressing different systems to focus the project team on the relatively large opportunities.
We live in a world of ever increasing choice, and as long as we can steer clear of non-credible programs, opportunities abound.
Hi Gia, thanks for your
Hi Gia, thanks for your article! I wanted to point you to SustainAbility's report, "Signed, Sealed...Delivered" that I co-wrote with my colleague Patrin Watanatada - we examined "why label?" instead of "what label" and looked at the value and challenges that standards, certifications and labels pose to businesses, and the future needed for them. After reading your article, I think you would find it some relevant reading.
http://www.sustainability.com/library/signed-sealed-delivered-1#.T9bqUSM...
Thanks Heather. I will
Thanks Heather. I will definitely take a look out your report.
Hi Gia, thanks for your
Hi Gia, thanks for your article! I wanted to point you to SustainAbility's report, "Signed, Sealed...Delivered" that I co-wrote with my colleague Patrin Watanatada - we examined "why label?" instead of "what label" and looked at the value and challenges that standards, certifications and labels pose to businesses, and the future needed for them. After reading your article, I think you would find it some relevant reading.
http://www.sustainability.com/library/signed-sealed-delivered-1#.T9bqUSM...