Does anyone have experience on how to handle projects in Europe in regards to cleaning products? I'm asking because Green Seal or Environmental Choice labeled products are very hard to find and in some instances impossible. We would therefore like to use the European Eco-Label or Blue Angel (German green label). We think to require an European cleaning company to use products from North-America isn't sustainable at all and defeats its purpose.
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Shira Norman
YRG sustainability70 thumbs up
April 29, 2010 - 3:15 pm
Susan,
We don't have tons of experience with projects attempting this credit using European green cleaning products. However, we do know of several projects in the pipeline that will be testing the validity of using sustainable, certified European products.
I'd recommend submitting with the European products, providing tons of supporting documentation verifying the sustainable characteristics of the products and demonstrating the rigorous testing required for products to earn the European eco labels. Also, submit any documentation available illustrating how these labeling systems are comparable to or more rigorous than the accepted American standards.
Please let us know how this alternative compliance path is received in the review process!
Tristan Roberts
RepresentativeVermont House of Representatives
LEEDuser Expert
11475 thumbs up
April 29, 2010 - 3:24 pm
I would also add that one way to show that you are meeting the credit with European certifications is to draw on the resources of the Global Ecolabeling Network (GEN). Environmental Choice is a member, as are several European labels, and I believe that they all play by the same ISO rules.
Susann Geithner
PrincipalEmerald Built Environments
1297 thumbs up
April 29, 2010 - 4:46 pm
Thanks a lot for your help. I did look into it a little and yes all these European labels comply with ISO Standards. The problem is that looking at the specifications for instance for Green Seal and European Eco-Label the testing procedures are different for the same chemicals or level of impact. So we would need an analytical chemist to figure out the comparability of these labels. Besides that the European union and countries have already established many laws and regulations with environmental minimum standards for these products. So just because the European Green Labels are not testing for something does not necessarily mean the products do not comply, because it might be required by law anyhow. If anyone came across a comparison of US and European Green Label, please let me know. I would very much appreciate any hints or links.
Jean Marais
b.i.g. Bechtold DesignBuilder Expert832 thumbs up
April 30, 2010 - 3:17 am
Generally, I scrap these credits for my projects (outside the USA) because of the difficalties (which defeats the goals of the program). What I have found is for Germany:
Schauen Sie http://www.finett.de/
Green Label Plus – Bodenbeläge
http://www.fsc-deutschland.de/db/
Zertifizierte-Holz
Beanträgung der Prüfung von eingesetzte harten Fußbödenbeläge Testing to various labeling certification standards for example Floorscore:
http://www.eurofins.de/unser-angebot/produktprufungen.aspx
Shira's first suggestion is the best way to proceed currently, until the application practicalities for international projects gets ironed out. Frau Geithner's comments are spot on and apply to a broad spectrum of required ratings in LEED and ASHRAE.
I think the system will have to slowly build up an official rating comparison data base...maybe starting with rough equivalence, for certification purposes, such as those for Filters (e.g. MERV 13 = F7) and have it slowly sharpen up on accuracy as the experts contribute more and more.
Forcing international projects to buy American products OR discouraging projects to imploy certain credit stradigies defeats sustainability goals.
Susann Geithner
PrincipalEmerald Built Environments
1297 thumbs up
April 30, 2010 - 9:51 am
Thanks for your help. I very much agree with you and I'm hoping the USGBC is reading your suggestion. I work on a couple of European projects and I always come across Credits, where we comply with the intent, but can't proof it, because the products don't have that particular label or we would have to hire a specialist to write a 100 pages explanation to compare the testing or even maximum allowable levels. So credits in regards to low VOC products, which are easy in the US, are very very hard or impossible in Europe, because Europe measures VOC different than the US. Beside that a US label clearly favors US products, discouraging the use of regional products. This is a big burden on projects and we always have an even harder time to explain to our clients, why they should spend money for that.
Michael Smithing
Director - Green Building AdvisoryColliers International Ltd.
304 thumbs up
November 11, 2011 - 12:13 pm
How have you handled this in the prerequisite for a Green Cleaning Policy? While the prerequisite doesn't require us to purchase anything, it does require us to establish a goal for the use of products outlined in IEQc3.3 which are largely unavailable. We would really like to pursue the credits calling for plans, programs and policies associated with these products but it seems somewhat deceptive to say we plan to purchase something which we know is not available.
Eric Johnson
271 thumbs up
November 11, 2011 - 3:31 pm
Diversey has a number of offices in Europe and they provide many of the companies where I am with "green" cleaning supplies and training. I would think they would be able to identify any differences between the products they sell in North America and Europe and could provide the documentation to show they are the same (or not).
Guilherme Ramos
12 thumbs up
February 1, 2012 - 7:29 am
A representative from a cleaning company in south america told me that although their products are certified by green seal and environmental choice in the US, it doesn't mean that they are in other countries, since the certification is valid only where it is manufactured.
The question is: a certified product in the US made under the same standards but in a different country, by the same company, is also assumed to be? If the company provides a statment showing compliance with green seal and environmental choice standards, would it be ok for LEED?
Anna Korinkova
Grinity s.r.o.83 thumbs up
July 24, 2012 - 9:37 am
I am not sure if I am correct but according ACP you can use cleaning products in lieu with Green Seal or Environmental Choice if they are certified by any Type 1 eco-labeling program as defined by ISO 14024:1999. I found out that for example EU Ecolabel would comply.
What do you think?