WHAT WE DO
Green Seal® is a global nonprofit organization that pioneered the ecolabeling movement with a mission to protect human health and the environment by accelerating the adoption of products that are safer and more sustainable. For 30 years, Green Seal’s rigorous standards for health, sustainability and product performance have driven permanent shifts in the marketplace, empowering better purchasing decisions and rewarding industry innovators. With thousands of certified products, services and spaces from the world’s leading companies, the Green Seal certification mark is a universal symbol that a product or service meets the highest benchmark of health and environmental leadership.
Our Mission
To protect human health and the environment by accelerating the adoption of products that are safer and more sustainable.
Our Vision
To make safer, more sustainable products the norm.
Our Approach
Green Seal’s approach is to encourage market transformation toward products that are safer and more sustainable. See how this works in our Theory of Change.
Our History
Green Seal was a pioneer in the ecolabeling movement. When we were founded in 1989, there were no other nonprofit environmental certification programs in the United States. Through the years, we have led companies to improve the sustainability of their products, driven environmentally preferable purchasing (EPP) among governments and institutions around the world and expanded the use of safer products in your schools, workplaces and homes. Explore an interactive timeline of Green Seal’s history and the environmental movement here.
Our Team
We are scientists, parents, friends, hikers, bakers, readers, dreamers and innovators. We share an unwavering commitment to improving the health of people and the planet while fostering sustainable economic growth. Work with us and you’ll enjoy collaborative, one-on-one service and a true partner in helping you reach your sustainability goals. Start getting to know us here.
Our Governance
Board of Directors
Green Seal is governed by a Board of Directors that guides strategic direction and oversees the organization’s finances, while monitoring progress to ensure Green Seal meets its short- and long- term objectives. The Board of Directors meets 4 times a year and has a maximum of 15 members.
Members are chosen for their expertise and support for Green Seal, with membership balanced with representatives from sectors relevant to Green Seal’s mission and operations. Directors serve a 3-year term, with a maximum of 2 consecutive terms, or a third additional consecutive term to serve as an Officer. See the current members of our Board of Directors here.
The Board of Directors Committees include:
- The Audit Committee, which reviews the results of an independent audit on Green Seal’s finances and presents the audited annual financial statement to the Board.
- The Executive Committee, which is comprised of the Board Officers and exercises all of the powers of the Board of Directors during intervals between meetings of the Board.
- The Marketing and Communications Committee, which guides the direction of Green Seal marketing and communications initiatives to maximize adoption of Green Seal’s program offerings and generate demand for proven-safer, proven-greener products and services.
- The Nominating Committee, which nominates suggested candidates for open seats on Green Seal’s Board of Directors, taking into consideration the importance of maintaining a balanced representation on the Board, including continuity of office and turnover among directors.
- The Standards Committee, which provides strategic input and direction on the current and future product roadmap, business planning, and overall market focus for Green Seal’s portfolio of standards.
Standards
Green Seal bases its standard development procedures on internationally recognized best practices, as described in ISEAL’s Standard Setting Code (2014). This ISEAL code is Green Seal’s primary guide for conducting a transparent process and developing outcomes-focused standards.
To carry out our mission, we rely on a wide community of stakeholders to participate in our standard development and revision processes to provide critical feedback, share scientific findings, assess effectiveness, and discuss problems and solutions. All interested parties – individuals, companies, and nonprofit organizations – are able to register to review and comment on draft standards and technical documents during our public comment periods. In the case of a dispute, there is an appeals process for unresolved issues.
Learn more about our standard development procedures here.
Our Credentials
Green Seal is a founding member of the Global Ecolabelling Network, the internationally recognized network of ecolabelling organizations.
We follow the EPA’s requirements for third-party certification:
- Open, transparent standard development process and award criteria
- Criteria based on life cycle reviews
- Clear consumer communication on nature of certification
- Regular updating of standards and criteria
- Facility inspection or audit
- Protocols for testing institutions or laboratories
- Access to certification for companies of all sizes
Our procedures have been reviewed by third parties and found to meet the following standards and guidelines.