Underwriters Laboratories announced it will launch two new environmental services -- Environmental Claims Validation (ECV), a program aimed at providing validation by means of independent testing and assessments of environmental product claims, and a program that will certify to environmentally sustainable product standards.
"UL's century-long legacy is one of safety, trust and leadership," said Marcello Manca, vice president of new business development for Underwriters Laboratories. "The launch of UL's environmental services -- marks the next chapter in that legacy in which UL will provide guidance and clarity around manufacturers' environmental claims."
As demand for environmentally sustainable products grew so did the need for claims validation. For example, the Federal Trade Commission passed Act 260, which specified environmental claims must be honest, non-deceptive and if possible, substantiated by a third-party. In response to this need, UL began developing the ECV program that would audit and test environmental claims made by manufacturers.
UL's ECV program will cover a wide range of environmental claims related to product attributes, such as energy efficiency, recycled content and volatile organic compound emissions and content, to name a few. In addition to ECV, UL will launch a certification program that will certify products to industry-accepted environmental standards.
"The green building industry has been at a cross road. Customers were demanding sustainable products, so manufacturers were responding with environmental claims-but there was no one validating those claims, nor certifying to published environmental product standards," said Manca. "We need organizations like UL to provide clarity and regulation that will ultimately help turn those claims into a competitive advantage."
