Many products, many labels This chart is not comprehensive, but it gives a flavor of green product certifications. A Web site for the North Carolina−based nonprofit, cross-industry group, The Green Standard (www.thegreenstandard.org), condenses most known programs into a user-friendly matrix.

FSC Forest Stewardship Council Certification for Forest Management and Chain of Custody,www.fsc.org

Established: 1993

Industry: Forest products

About: FSC is an independent, nonprofit organization that sets standards for sustainable forest management and accredits third-party organizations to certify products.

Relevance:
FSC is the only sustainable wood certification recognized by the USGBC's LEED rating program and has wide industry recognition.

Energy Star Environmental Protection Agency,www.energystar.gov

Established:1992

Industry: Electronics, appliances, HVAC, building systems

About: EPA's Energy Star was established to standardize energy efficiency for a range of products and buildings.

Relevance: Energy Star continues to be updated and is one of the most successful federal government programs. The EPA launched the Watersense program in 2007 to address water- saving products.

SCS Sustainable Choice Scientific Certification Systems,www.scscertified.com

Established: 2006

Industry: Indoor carpet, other building products

About: SCS's Sustainable Choice label recognizes carpets that conform to the NSF 140 standard for sustainable carpet, but will expand to other industries and standards.

Relevance: SCS is a third-party testing and certification organization widely recognized in the sustainable design community for its impartial and reliable work.

MPI Green Performance Master Painter's Institute,www.specifygreen.com

Established: 2005

Industry: Paint, lacquers, stains, floor coatings, and fire retardants

About:This standard is based on the EPA's standards for VOC content levels in surface coatings, as well as those of California's Air Quality Management Districts.

Relevance: Green Seal's sustainable paint standard is based on MPI's Green Performance, and it is recognized in the LEED rating system.

SFI Sustainable Forestry Initiative, American Forest & Paper Association,www.about-sfi.org

Established: 1996

Industry:Forest products

About:SFI was launched as a response by the timber industry to the establishment of FSC. It's a third-party certified standard that verifies sustainable logging and reforestation.

Relevance: SFI certification is not currently accepted by LEED, although this has been the topic of much research and discussion in the sustainable design community.

Greenguard
Greenguard Environmental Institute (GEI),www.greenguard.org

Established:2002

Industry:Building products and furniture

About: GEI is a third-party, nonprofit organization that certifies products for emissions for indoor air quality.

Relevance: The Greenguard air-quality certification has achieved wide industry acceptance, from Cradle to Cradle to LEED. It has been incorporated into other standards for a variety of products.

Cradle to Cradle McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC),www.mbdc.com

Established: 2005

Industry: Any

About: MBDC's program uses life-cycle assessment, focusing on recyclability, disassembly, and material content as chief concerns.

Relevance: Cradle to Cradle has significant industry recognition and is considered comprehensive, but its proprietary, closed process and lack of certified products has frustrated the design community.

Planet Positive dCarbon8/Battle McCarthy,www.planet-positive.org

Established:2006

Industry:Products and buildings About: dCarbon8 established the program to standardize how carbon credits have been treated in the building industry. Products and buildings are given credits that must be offset by owners.

Relevance:Planet Positive has lately focused on buildings, since few if any products offer the credits. Its U.K. base has limited efforts to expand in the U.S.

CRI Green Label Plus Carpet & Rug Institute (CRI),www.carpet-rug.org

Established:2004

Industry:Carpet

About:This label indicates compliance with California's CHPS Section 01350 for acceptable emissions for indoor air quality, also recognized as the NSF 140 standard for sustainable carpet.

Relevance: This label is simply the carpet industry's recognition of its sustainable products and, though respected, is still considered a second-party label.

Green Seal Green Seal Organization,www.greenseal.org

Established: 1989

Industry: Building products

About: The nonprofit, independent Green Seal develops accredited, open standards based on existing standards, all focused on life-cycle assessment for many products.

Relevance:Green Seal standards are cited by LEED, as well as by government entities. Although it maintains standards for a limited group of products, it is viewed credibly in the market.