The EcoLogo program
certifies environmental leadership. Marketers of certified products use EcoLogo
to build trust with their customers and markets. Purchasers use EcoLogo
to discern true claims from false, and to “level the playing field.” EcoLogo
helps connect green products and buyers around the world within hundreds of
product and service types.
What makes a product or service eligible
for certification?
The EcoLogo program is what
ISO calls a Type I eco-label - a multi-attribute, life-cycle based
certification program. This means that the criteria reflect all of the
potential environmental impacts from the entire life-cycle of the product or
service type. EcoLogo sets criteria that only the best (environmentally
speaking) 20% of products in any category will be able to meet. Any product or
service that meets these criteria is eligible for EcoLogo certification.
What
is the Criteria Development Process?
The EcoLogo criteria
development process follows the principles and practices identified in the ISO
14024 standard for Environmental Labeling. This means that we:
Examine the entire life cycle of the
category (from raw material extraction through production to final end-fate).
Consult stakeholders through formal
outreach and stakeholder committees, including representatives from environmental groups, purchasers, industry, consumers
and consumer groups, academia, government and regulatory bodies, and other
interested or related groups.
Consider all potential environmental impacts and
issues, including but not limited to: emissions to air, water and land; energy
use; indoor air quality; human health impacts; depletion of natural resources;
solid waste generation; and impacts on wildlife.
Develop criteria that identify better environmental
choices by setting criteria levels so that approximately 20% of the products /
services in that a category can achieve certification.
Regularly reviewing and updating the criteria to
ensure they represent current environmental leadership in an ever changing
market
What
Certification Criteria Documents (CCDs) Currently Exist?
EcoLogo
has certification criteria for over 120 different product and service type –
everything from cleaning products to green power to paints to paper products. (Click here to see the full
listing at www.ecologo.org)
How do I get my Product or Service EcoLogo
Certified?
1. Apply
Submit an application form and any
required supporting documentation. If an applicable Certification Criteria
Document (CCD) exists, your application will be assessed against those
criteria. If no CCD is applicable, we will develop one according to the
Criteria
Development Process described above, and
your application will be subsequently assessed against these new criteria.
Timeline: Variable
2. Review & Audit
We will first review your application
internally, and then arrange for an independent third-party auditor to assess
your documentation and conduct an on-site audit.
Timeline: Approximately 30 days
3. Results & Licensing
Based on the documentation review and
on-site audit, we will adjudicate the application and inform you of the
licensing decision. Successful applicants will be sent a license for
signature.
Timeline: Approximately 30 days
What Does it Cost to be Certified?
Total costs depends on your specific product
or service and the licensing package.
Initial verification and
audit:
Variable, typically $1,500 – $5,000. Price
depends on type and number of products.
Subsequent verification for additional
products / services:
Variable, typically $250 - $2,000. Price
depends on type and number of products.
Annual
License Fees
EcoLogo: 0.5% of product sales, minimum $1,200
EcoLogo Plus! $20,000
EcoLogo Premium! $35,000
Contact Us!
TerraChoice Environmental Marketing
Inc.
1280
Old Innes Road, Suite 801
Ottawa, Ontario
K1B 5M7
Telephone: (613) 247-1900
Toll Free: 1-800-478-0399
Email: ecoinfo@terrachoice.com
Internet: www.ecologo.org
