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Green Seal Proposes Revisions to Cleaning Product Standards

  • 12/06/16

WASHINGTON, DC – Green Seal, the nation’s premier third-party environmental certification organization, is inviting comment on proposed revisions to nine cleaning product standards. Green Seal would like comment from a diverse group of stakeholders including product manufacturers, public health experts, environmental organizations and other interested parties. The comment period will be open through Monday, January 16, 2017. Those interested in commenting can register to submit feedback and view all relevant documents via an online forum at collaborase.com/chem-products-revision.

The proposed revisions are intended to improve consistency, clarity, and to ensure that the requirements are practical for manufacturers while still maintaining current leadership levels of environmental and human health protection. Additionally, some standards require updates to account for changes in the market and the commercial availability of new technologies.

In most cases the proposed revisions are not expected to immediately require reevaluations of currently certified products or changes in their formulations. Complete details of the standard revisions can be found at www.greenseal.org/Cleaning-Standards-Revision-2016.

The standards involved in these revisions are:

  1. Standard for Cleaning Products for Household Use, GS-8
  2. Standard for Cleaning and Degreasing Agents, GS-34
  3. Standard for Cleaning Products for Industrial and Institutional Use, GS-37
  4. Standard for Floor Care Products for Industrial and Institutional Use, GS-40
  5. Standard for Hand Cleaners for Industrial and Institutional Use, GS-41
  6. Standard for Laundry Care for Household Use, GS-48
  7. Standard for Laundry Care Products for Industrial and Institutional Use, GS-51
  8. Standard for Specialty Cleaning Products for Household Use, GS-52
  9. Standard for Specialty Cleaning Products for Industrial and Institutional Use, GS-53.

The proposed revisions include some aspect of the following topics:

  1. Threshold of Evaluation for Components and Ingredients
  2. Skin and Eye Hazard Requirements
  3. Acute Toxicity
  4. Toxicity to Aquatic Life
  5. Biodegradability Requirements
  6. Skin Sensitization Requirements
  7. Requirements for Disposable Wipes
  8. Colorant Requirements
  9. Substances That Release Carcinogens
  10. Packaging Requirements
  11. Resin Identification Codes on Plastic Packaging
  12. Prohibition of Heavy Metals in Products and Packaging
  13. Scope of GS-37
  14. Addition of Annex B for Closed Dilution-Control System Requirements
  15. Alternative Product Testing Requirements
  16. Dilution Levels for Performance Requirements
  17. Spray Packaging for Enzymatic and Microbially-Based Cleaners
  18. Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) Requirement

Following the comment period, a response to comments will be published on Green Seal’s website, and the final revised standards will be published.

For those interested in learning about the proposed changes, a webinar is taking place on Thursday, December 15th from 3 P.M. - 4 P.M. ET. Questions will also be answered. To register, go to attendee.gotowebinar.com.

About Green Seal, Inc.
Green Seal, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, was founded in 1989 to safeguard the health of people and the planet. Green Seal provides science-based environmental certification standards that are credible, transparent and essential to helping manufacturers, purchasers and consumers make responsible choices that positively impact business behavior and improve quality of life. Thousands of products and services in over 390 categories have been certified to meet Green Seal standards. Green Seal provides public education and guidance for creating a more sustainable world. For more information, please call 202/872-6400 or visit www.greenseal.org to learn more about Green Seal standards, certified products and services.

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