Underwriters Laboratories Demonstrates Environmental Commitment Through Earth Day Network Partnership

NORTHBROOK, Ill., April 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Underwriters Laboratories (UL), a leader in product safety testing and certification services for more than 116 years, and Earth Day Network (EDN), the international non-profit environmental organization that coordinates Earth Day programs have announced a joint effort to help keep families safe and their environment healthy.  As the premiere sponsor of EDN's upcoming 40th Anniversary celebration of Earth Day, UL has become the "Official Safety, Sustainability and Standards" partner of Earth Day Network throughout 2010.

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"UL is proud to work with Earth Day Network to help spread environmental knowledge and inspire families to practice more eco-friendly habits around the home," said Keith Williams, CEO of Underwriters Laboratories.  "As environmental concerns have evolved, UL's role as a safety resource has evolved as well.  We recognize the need for helping consumers take steps to lower their environmental impact and are developing relevant and reliable standards for environmental sustainability."

The year-long program launches during Earth Week when families can visit UL's Safe and Healthy Environment pavilion at the Eco Village on the National Mall in Washington, DC.  In the pavilion, families can learn how UL rigorously tests, verifies, certifies, and inspects everyday items while celebrating Earth Day's 40 years of action and awareness around the environment.  The UL pavilion will feature interactive kiosks on family safety and provide useful information on maintaining healthy environments and the importance of safe play.  

"We are excited about working with UL as they apply their experience and expertise to developing new, relevant and reliable standards for environmental sustainability," said Kathleen Rogers, president of the Earth Day Network.

In support of EDN's Billion Acts of Green Initiative, UL is also partnering with KaBOOM!, a national non-profit making children and communities healthier by creating great places to play.  The partnership addresses one of the top concerns for young mothers - the need for healthy playspaces that allow children to exercise their imaginations.  UL is also helping KaBOOM! launch their campaign to "Save Play" for one million children this year.  To do so, UL is sponsoring a national contest where communities can win one of four eco-friendly and innovative Imagination Playground in a Box systems.  Imagination Playground in a Box is a play system that offers a changing array of elements that allow children to constantly build and re-build their play space.  Visitors to the UL Pavilion will be able to experience an Imagination Playground in a Box first hand.  

To learn more about UL's Earth Day participation and find valuable safety information for your world and everything in it, please visit www.SafetyAtHome.com.  Additionally on the site, UL will be live streaming the Global Day of Celebration featuring Sting and John Legend on Sunday, April 25.

About Underwriters Laboratories

UL is an independent product safety certification organization that has been testing products and writing Standards for Safety for more than a century. UL evaluates more than 19,000 types of products, components, materials and systems for more than 66,000 manufacturers annually. In total, there are more than 20 billion UL Marks appearing on products worldwide each year. UL's global family of companies and network of service providers includes 68 laboratory, testing and certification facilities serving customers in 102 countries. For more information, visit: www.UL.com/newsroom.

Earth Day Network

Earth Day Network was founded on the premise that all people, regardless of race, gender, income, or geography, have a moral right to a healthy, sustainable environment. Its mission is to broaden and diversify the environmental movement worldwide, and to mobilize it as the most effective vehicle for promoting a healthy, sustainable environment. Earth Day Network pursues that mission through a combination of education, public policy, and consumer activism campaigns.  Earth Day Network's campaign and programs are predicated on the belief that an educated, energized population will take action to secure a healthy future for itself and its children. The organization has a global reach with a network of more than 20,000 partners and organizations in 190 countries. Earth Day Network is a 501(c)3 organization located in Washington, D.C.  Visit www.earthday.org.

KaBOOM!

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., KaBOOM! is a national non-profit organization dedicated to saving play. Through community building, the company is focused on giving every child in America a great place to play within walking distance. Since 1995, KaBOOM! has used its innovative community-build model to bring together business and community interests to construct more than 1,700 new playgrounds, skate parks, sports fields and ice rinks across North America. KaBOOM! also offers a variety of resources, including an online community, free online trainings, grants, publications and the KaBOOM! National Campaign for Play, which includes Playful City USA and Playmakers – a national network of individual advocates for play. KaBOOM! also has offices in Chicago and San Mateo, Calif. For more information, visit www.kaboom.org. 

Imagination Playground was conceived and designed by internationally acclaimed architect David Rockwell. His firm, Rockwell Group, has partnered with KaBOOM! to bring Imagination Playground to communities across the country.

SOURCE Underwriters Laboratories