GREENGUARD Environmental Institute Launches GREENGUARD Select Certification

New Environment-Specific Certification Offers Increased Transparency and Rigor, Addresses New Chemical Exposure Criteria

ATLANTA, March 5, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The GREENGUARD Environmental Institute, a division of UL Environment, announced today the successful launch and market adoption of GREENGUARD Select℠, a rigorous, environment-specific indoor air quality certification that addresses new market requirements while offering increased transparency for both manufacturers and purchasers.

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"GREENGUARD Select takes the GREENGUARD Certification Program℠to the next level of precision and clarity," says Marilyn Black, Ph.D., founder of the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute. "It builds upon one of our most widely recognized and referenced standards—GREENGUARD Children & Schools—by adding new criteria for formaldehyde emissions, lead and phthalate content, and commercial furniture testing protocols, and volatile organic compound content levels. And, perhaps most important, it provides environment-specific certification marks, adding clarity for specifiers and purchasers."

Manufacturers whose products achieve GREENGUARD Select Certification will have the opportunity to test and certify to a residential, commercial, healthcare, or educational environment—depending on the products' application. The residential environment model used for the certification is based on the informative Appendix B of the 2010 version of the CA 01350 test method, and it enables the use of scientifically justified and realistic product loadings.

"This is a key advancement in providing a fully developed residential model for the certification of products intended for home use," Black adds.

Manufacturers whose products meet the testing and emissions requirements of all four environments may market their products with a GREENGUARD Select Certified mark bearing the names of all four environments. Manufacturers whose products meet the testing and emissions requirements of one, two, or three environments may use one or all three of the applicable environment-specific certification marks.

Additionally, each qualified environment will be denoted on the product's certificate, which can be downloaded for free in the GREENGUARD Product Guide online.

To date, five manufacturers have achieved GREENGUARD Select Certification for their products:

• Crane Composites – Education, Healthcare
• Dwyer – Commercial, Education, Healthcare, Residential
• Maxxon – Commercial, Education, Healthcare, Residential
• Naturepedic – Healthcare, Residential
• Phifer – Commercial, Education, Healthcare, Residential

"We applaud manufacturers who voluntarily pursue and achieve GREENGUARD Select Certification for their products," Black says. "Such an achievement lets the marketplace know that these manufacturers are committed to transparency, scientific rigor, and the protection of human health."

For more information about GREENGUARD Select Certification, visit www.greenguard.org.

About the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI)
The GREENGUARD Environmental Institute, part of the UL Global Network, aims to protect human health and enhance quality of life by improving indoor air quality and reducing chemical exposure.  As an ISO-IEC Guide 65:1996 accredited, third-party organization, the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute certifies products and materials for low chemical emissions and serves as a resource for choosing healthier products and materials for indoor environments.  All certified products must meet stringent chemical emissions standards based on established criteria from key public health agencies. GREENGUARD Certification is broadly recognized and accepted by sustainable building programs and building codes worldwide.  For more information and a complete listing of certified products, visit www.greenguard.org.

About UL Environment
UL Environment's mission is to advance global sustainability, environmental health, and safety by supporting the growth and development of environmentally-preferable products, services, and organizations. We help companies achieve their sustainability goals and help consumers find products they can trust. UL Environment offers environmental claim validations, multi-attribute product certifications, environmental product declarations, indoor air quality certification, product emissions testing, organizational sustainability certification, and consulting. For more information, visit www.ul.com/environment.

SOURCE GREENGUARD Environmental Institute