With My Green Doctor, you can feel good about what you buy for your business and home. The “Preferred Choice” logo indicates products or companies chosen by My Green Doctor as superior to their competitors based upon one or more social, environmental, or climate change criterion.
In 2024, My Green Doctor reviewed more than one hundred organizations that certify the environmental sustainability and climate change impacts of products. We have chosen the best of them, these twenty-two certifying organizations, as the basis for most “Preferred Choice” determinations:
Amazon Sustainability
https://www.amazon.com/b?node=121191123011
Amazon offers thousands of “Climate Pledge Friendly” products, meaning that these products or the companies producing them are certified by one or more of than fifty independent sustainability organizations that Amazon uses in 2024. A strong “plus” for Amazon’s product listing is that a shopper can see quickly which features of a product are recognized by the certifying organization(s). A distinct disadvantage of Amazon’s approach is that a shopper cannot restrict a product search to see only the Climate Pledge Friendly options. Also, the sustainability benefits of some “Climate Pledge Friendly” products have only asmall environmental benefit. Nonetheless, when buying on Amazon.com, My Green Doctor recommends to“look for the green leaf.”
B Corp
https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us/certification/
B Corp certifies businesses. A business can become B Corp certified by earning a “B Impact Assessment” score of 80 out of 200 and passing the B Corp risk review. Brands are scored in categories suchas corporate governance, social performance, and environmental sustainability: “its impact on the air, climate, water, land, and biodiversity”. Companies are evaluated based on their direct impacts and on indirect impacts of their supply chain and distribution channels. As of June 2024, My Geen Doctor could not identify any specific minimum requirements for sustainability or environmental goals.
BlueSign
https://www.bluesign.com/en/services/
BlueSign works to guide the textile industry towards UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The company supports chemical suppliers, manufacturers, and brands by educating them and mandating use of Best Available Techniques to reduce harmful emissions. BlueSign Partners are certified by completing required assessments and complying with appropriate environmental, occupation, health, and safety performance as mandated by BlueSign. BlueSign claims to have the highest standards in the industry. The company offers two separate designations: a product can advertise using a quantity of “BlueSign Approved” materials or be designated as a “BlueSign Product” by being composed of at least 90% of BlueSign Approved materials.
Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association (BIFMA) LEVEL
https://www.bifma.org/page/level
To become BIFMA LEVEL certified, a furniture company must develop and implement an energy and environmental policy that includes a commitment to continual improvement, and also develop a “Design for the Environment” which integrates environmental considerations throughout a product’s life cycle. A company’s products can be certified as Level 1, 2, or 3 based on their level of conformance to ANSI/BIFMA e3 standards, which include environmental, social and health criteria.
Climate Neutral Certified
https://www.changeclimate.org/standards
Climate Neutral appears to be among the most rigorous and climate change focused of the certification companies that My Green Doctor has identified. Climate Neutral assesses a company’s “cradle to cradle” (Scope 1, 2, and 3) greenhouse gas emissions. Companies are required to create a “Reduction Action Plan” using the Climate Neutral’s template and show progress towards reducing emissions. Companies with over $100 million in annual revenue are required to create a reduction target for 2030. Companies with active certifications must publicly disclose their greenhouse gas emissions, investments in carbon credits, a summary of reduction action plans, and progress on earlier reduction action plans. No minimum carbon emission reduction requirement was identified as of June 2024. However, companies are required to contribute to greenhouse gas mitigation measures proportional to their level of measured emissions and the reduction action plan is required to include measures that will reduce emissions within the next 1-2 years.
Compost Manufacturing Alliance (CMA) Composter Approved
https://compostmanufacturingalliance.com/about-cma/
Products that are certified compostable by CMA have passed an in-field test at partner composting facilities according to ASTM D6400 and D6868 standards. If a product does not pass, the company offers technical support.
Cradle to Cradle
https://c2ccertified.org/the-standard/version-4-0
The Cradle-to-Cradle Certification strong standards provide a framework for improving material health, product circularity, social fairness, water and soil stewardship, and clean air and climate protection via science-based measures. This certification has four levels of achievement: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum, which are awarded based on a product’s level of adherence to the categories above. Cradle to Cradle also certifies a product’s packaging. The ultimate goal of this certification is to help businesses create products that contribute to a circular economy.
European Office Furniture Federation (FEMB)
https://www.levelcertified.eu/about-level/
This certification is modeled after the voluntary environmental sustainability criteria of BIMFA, the Business + Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association. It requires products to consider four impact areas: materials, energy & atmosphere, management of chemicals, and social responsibility. These impact areas include life cycle assessments, sourcing, and toxicity of materials, as well as greenhouse gas emissions. It integrates benchmarks and requirements from other standards. No specific standards were located during My Green Doctor’s research as of June 2024. Products can earn a Level 1, 2, or 3 certification, with 3 being the highest rank.
Energy Star
https://www.energystar.gov/products/what_makes_product_energy_star
The Energy Star logo appears on thousands of products sold online and at retail stores. Energy Star is the most dependable energy use guide for consumers to look for when choosing appliances or machines to buy in the United States. These products are third-party certified to be more efficient than comparable products on the market. The U.S. Department of Energy regularly update its energy efficiency criteria for the Energy Star rating for many categories of products. Products that are Energy Star certified are between 10% and 90% more energy efficient than their competitors.
EPA Safer Choice
https://www.epa.gov/saferchoice/learn-about-safer-choice-label
For the medical office or home we recommend Safer Choice as a minimum standard for soaps and other cleaning products. The EPA Safer Choice standard certifies cleaning, personal care, ice-melt, and marine lubricant products. There are different criteria for each category, but all products’ ingredients are reviewed for carcinogenicity, reproductive toxicity, aquatic toxicity, and persistence in the environment. The EPA also considers product performance, pH, and packaging. Safer Choice products are audited annually to ensure compliance. The specific criteria are disclosed on theEPA website.
EWG Verified
https://www.ewg.org/EWGVERIFIED/about-the-mark.php
EWG Verified is a system of standards from Environmental Working Group. These standards apply to products for personal care such as cleaning products, baby products, and mattresses. To become verified, companies must disclose their full ingredient list, including those that comprise less than .01% of the product. In addition, an EWG Verified product cannot contain any ingredients in EWG’s restricted list, which includes ingredients that are believed to be harmful to human and environmental health such as microplastics, PFAS, heavy metals, and other neurotoxic chemicals. Cleaning products must also comply with strict air quality guidelines and aquatic toxicity guidelines. Specific criteria is available at EWG’s website under the “For Companies” tab.
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) “100% “&” Recycled”
https://fsc.org/en/what-the-fsc-labels-mean
The Forest Stewardship Council’s (FSC) goal is to promote sustainable forestry by requiring zero deforestation, providing fair wages to workers, supporting conservation, and protecting community rights. The “100%” label certifies that all materials in a product come from FSC-certified forests. The “Recycled” label certifies that the product is made from 100% recycled materials. My Green Doctor’s 2024 research found that the FSC has come under fire recently because some companies certified by FSC have been accused of human rights violations as well as of overharvesting and other unsustainable practices.
Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)
https://global-standard.org/the-standard/philosophy
The GOTS Standard applies to textile products. Products are certified as “organic” if more than 95% of the fibers are produced using organic farming methods , and certified as“made with organic materials” if more than 70% of the fibers are organic. Organic agriculture practices prohibit the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) as well as synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and artificial fertilizers. In addition, there are strict regulations on the use of chemicals in the manufacturing process with use of some specific chemicals prohibited. Also considered in the GOTS are the social and working conditions of the industry workers. The GOTS label is aligned with all United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Green Seal
https://greenseal.org/green-seal-standards/our-standards/
Green Seal is a non-profit organization that certifies more than 30,000 products and businesses. The main foci of this rating system are cleaning and paper products. Products bearing the Green Seal logo have met criteria for chemical safety, responsible sourcing, manufacturing sustainability, sustainable packaging, and product integrity. Green Seal requirements vary by product category but include life-cycle assessments, material processing restrictions, social responsibility, and rigorous heavy metal restrictions. They have also recently updated their certification to ban the use of PFAS, an important class of persistent pollutants.
TUV OK Biobased
https://www.tuv-at.be/okcert/certifications/ok-biobased/
TUV certifies products for being “bio-based”. These are products such as packaging materials, construction materials, dishes for eating, and inks that are being manufactured with little or no fossil fuels. Some of the new materials used are derived from renewable wood, soy, other plants, and even from bacteria. A product earns 1 star for being 20-40% bio based, 2 stars for 40-60%, 3 stars for 60-80%, and 4 stars for 80-100%. Other factors that are rated by TUV are whether a product can be recycled or composted. This certification only evaluates the content of a product; it does not consider potential negative environmental impacts from the sourcing of materials or the end-of-life disposal of a product.
OEKO-TEX Standard 100
Oeko-Tex is a European-based environmental rating system for textile and leather products. This standard certifies that textiles are free from, or contain minimal amounts of, harmful substances. To be certified, a finished product and each of its components must be tested annually to renew their certification. Regular on-site audits are also required. Exact thresholds for restricted chemicals are available for download.
Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC)
https://pefc.org/standards-implementation/standards-and-guides
This is a global forestry standard that certifies a wood fiber product is sourced from sustainably managed forests. PEFC has guidelines for forest management, including requirements to maintain or increase forests and their ecosystem services (including socio-economic function), and to safeguard the carbon storage in the medium and long-term. Much of the language is framed as “encouraging” compliance and “minimization” of impacts, such as pesticide use. Like the FSC label, My Green Doctor’s 2024 research found that the PEFC label has been accused of certifying some companies despite harmful ecological and social practices.
Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) Certified Recycled Content
https://www.scsglobalservices.com/services/recycled-content-certification
SCS independently verifies a company’s claim that its product has a minimum quantity of post or pre-consumer recycled content. To be certified, a product must have a minimum of 5% recycled content. The certification does not take any other environmental factors or concerns into account, and simply verifies through an independent third-party audit, which includes a review of chain of custody.
Sustainable Forestry Initiative
https://forests.org/new-sfi-2022-standards-updates/
SFI has a system of standards for guiding sustainable forestry which includes management practices that take productivity, biological diversity, ecological disturbances, and carbon storage into account. SFI requires the avoidance of controversial sources of wood fiber and has measures to work with indigenous peoples. My Green Doctor’s 2024 research found that SFI has not been accused of accrediting companies with controversial human rights and ecological practices. In addition, their regulations and policies are more comprehensive than those of most rating organizations. However, SFI does have a certification label that allows PEFC standards to be recognized.
UL ECOLOGO
https://www.ul.com/services/ecologo-certification
UL ECOLOGO from United Laboratories certifies building products, cleaning products, electronics and office products, mineral exploration, paper and plastic, personal care, and renewable electricity for reduced environmental and health impact. The certification is based on standards that evaluate a product’s full lifecycle. Criteria under four categories must be met: circular economy; health and wellness; Environment, Sustainability & Government (ESG) targets; and trust and transparency.
UL GREENGUARD
https://www.ul.com/services/ul-greenguard-certification
UL GREENGUARD is a another certification system from United Laboratories (UL). UL GREENGUARD certifies whether a product releases toxic air pollutants that can be harmful indoors. There are two levels of GREENGUARD certification: Standard UL GREENGUARD and US GREENGUARD Gold Certification. The latter is the most stringent level and limits the emissions of more than 360 toxic Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) that are sometimes emitted from consumer products and that have been identified by the US Environmental Protection Agency as harmful to health.
WaterSense
https://www.epa.gov/watersense/watersense-label
WaterSense is awater efficiency standard of the US Environmental Protection Agency for toilets, faucets, irrigation systems, and other devices. Products bearing the WaterSense label will use at least 20% less water than competing products. The website has a useful search tool for seeking or evaluating products: https://lookforwatersense.epa.gov/products/
