Material Certifications

From imde.io

Material Certifications

Plastic (Polymers)

  • Recycled Content Certification: Verifies the recycled content in plastic products.
  • Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) Certification: For compostable plastic products in the U.S.
  • EU Ecolabel: For products meeting high environmental standards in the European Union.
  • Green Seal: Certifies products that are environmentally responsible.

Paper (includes cardboard)

  • Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certification: Ensures products come from responsibly managed forests.
  • Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI): Similar to FSC, focuses on sustainable forest management.
  • Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC): Promotes sustainable forest management through independent third-party certification.
  • Blue Angel: A German certification for products and services that are environmentally friendly, including paper products.

Metal

  • Cradle to Cradle Certified™: Assesses products across five quality categories, one of which includes material health, applicable to metals.
  • LEED Certification: While not specific to metal, it recognizes sustainable building materials, including metal products.
  • Recycled Content Certification: Certifying the percentage of recycled content in metal products.

Ceramics

  • EU Ecolabel: For products with lower environmental impacts, applicable to some ceramic products.
  • Energy Star: For energy-efficient products, relevant for certain ceramic manufacturing processes.

Wood

  • Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certification: For wood products from responsibly managed forests.
  • Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC): Similar to FSC, for sustainable forest management.
  • Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI): North American certification for sustainable forestry.

Textile

  • Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS): For organic textiles including both ecological and social criteria.
  • Oeko-Tex Standard 100: Certification for textiles tested for harmful substances.
  • Bluesign®: Focuses on environmental health and safety in the textile manufacturing process.

Composite

Composite materials, being a combination of different materials, don't have a universal certification. Their certifications depend on the primary materials used. For instance:

  • FSC Certification: for composites with a significant wood component.
  • Recycled Content Certification: for composites with recycled materials.