THE MOST ADVANCED GREEN STANDARD SYSTEM TO DATE SET TO ENTER RETAIL INDUSTRY
Nationally recognized, award-winning environmentalist and businessperson, Kim Carlson, has announced plan
to introduce a retail product certification program that will prove to be the most innovative environmental screening process to date.
The EarthSmart Certified Sustainable program, conceived of and spear-headed by Carlson, was developed collaboratively by an international team of scientists, scholars, retail experts and environmentalists with a collective background in evaluation of environmentally and socially responsible products. It will provide retailers and consumers with a high level of assurance that products with the EarthSmart Certified Sustainable Seal are authentically Green; as well as offer a system for ranking products in levels of greenness.
Backed by science and innovative environmental and social standards so stringent that it is unmatched in the world, the EarthSmart Certified Sustainable program is a third party retail and/or brand program that certifies products. The certification is based on 7 rigorous environmental and social standards, verified by 3rd party auditors, and administered through a transparent process. The level of "greenness" of a product is determined by ranking the metrics in the audit using indicators such as how and where the product raw material was sourced, environmental practices at the factory and how workers are treated. The percentage of compliance achieved will determine the level of green attributed to a product.
The purposes of the program are many:
• to give retailers and brands a comprehensive green program that provides a global "green" standard for Brands and products.
• to simplify eco-friendly shopping for the consumer via a universally recognized seal of approval: the EarthSmart Certified Sustainable Seal.
• to boost customer confidence and reduce confusion when purchasing green products.
• to help consumers understand shades of green in selecting products.
• and to provide compliance with new laws such as recently amended Lacey Act.
While both retailers and consumers have made impressive strides in moving toward eco-friendliness, the green product frontier is still much like the wild-west where claims are often made with no backing, facts are exaggerated and the buyer must beware. Half of consumers say they "do not have the information to be personally involved in increasing their green behavior" and aren't sure which products and packaging materials are recyclable as per a 2007 study released by Gfk Roper. Nearly half (49%) also state they would do more for the environment if they only knew how. There are currently several green certification programs or labels for a few categories of consumer goods but none, except "certified organic" have been widely embraced by consumers and retailers as a definitive green label. Additionally, none of these programs provide a ranking of green products.
There is an obvious need for a definitive, universally applicable green label. Recognizing this need, Kim Carlson and her team have devised an innovative approach to product assessment that is both comprehensive and easy to understand. The EarthSmart Certified Sustainable program provides the long-term solution that will meet the needs of both retailers and consumers and ensure that earth-friendly practices are being employed.
For additional information about the EarthSmart Consumer Sustainable program and Kim Carlson, please contact Courtney O'Neill of AAM at 212.661.1336.
November 18, 2008