Since spearheading the transition to environmentally preferable purchasing nearly 25 years ago, green cleaning in commercial and institutional buildings has become as ubiquitous as it is synonymous with Green Seal. The household products market faces the same urgent need for clarity today that we addressed decades ago in the away-from-home market. We’re meeting the moment with bold actions to unite the consumer-packaged goods and retail communities around a trusted designation for safer and more sustainable products.
This year, we unveiled a new brand identity based on two years of intensive research with consumers, brands, and retailers into helping consumers cut through the chaos in the shopping aisle. Our new brand is an outward reflection of our deep commitment to providing clarity, transparency, and a meaningful designation for consumers seeking safer and more sustainable products, much like we have for the away-from-home market over the last two-plus decades.
We know a certification mark alone won’t solve the challenges in the marketplace. That’s why we make sure our criteria help brands target actions that matter, including:
- Safer Chemicals: Green Seal-certified cleaning products protected 9.8 million students and teachers from toxic chemicals and asthma triggers.
- Responsible Sourcing: Green Seal-certified sanitary paper saved 8.5 million metric tons of carbon emissions due to recycled-fiber sourcing – the equivalent of taking 2 million cars off the road.
- Low-Impact Manufacturing: Green Seal-certified sanitary paper reduced manufacturing water use by 22 billion gallons due to use of recycled fiber.
- Sustainable Packaging: Green Seal-certified cleaning products saved 213 million pounds of plastic through packaging optimization.
We’re also raising the bar for product sustainability with initiatives to eliminate PFAS from the supply chain; accelerate the transition to sustainable packaging; and align the consumer-packaged goods and retail communities on the definition of safer and more sustainable products.
Ultimately, our goal is to simplify sustainable shopping for the everyday consumer the way we have in the commercial and institutional arena, so all buyers find it easier to put their wallets where their values are. This report offers insight into how, together with our stakeholders, we envision turning this ambitious goal into reality.