Natural or Bio-based

For both natural and bio-based materials, we will follow the ISO 16128-1:2016 Guidelines. To meet the mark, a material must contain >50% natural or bio-based content. ISO 16128-1 is supplier self-reported and each supplier will warrant that their data is true and correct. USDA BioPreferred® certification and composition statements also support this characteristic.*

Carbon Footprinting

There are many ways to calculate a product's carbon footprint as this field continues to emerge. ISO 14067 specifies principles, requirements, and guidelines for the quantification and reporting of the carbon footprint of a product (CFP), in a manner consistent with International Standards on life cycle assessment (LCA) (ISO 14040 and ISO 14044). At launch, products with evidence will be included.*

The materials must be supplied with a specific supplier claim on the PCF or LCIA through any part of the cradle to grave lifecycle of the product, with cradle to gate being the most commonly reported.

Claim must be accompanied by a figure on the emission per unit of product (likely in Kg or metric tonne of CO2 per unit), KgCO2e or tCO2e/ton product.

Safer Substitutes

Safer Substitutes are materials which offer comparable performance and applications to conventional but with the benefit of reduced environmental and/or health hazards.*

For many products, evidence for this characteristic will be achieved through assessment of human health and environmental hazard GHS classification and EU CLP Regulation (SDS section 2) of a conventional material compared with an equivalent material showing lower hazard than the conventional material, or other supplier documentation containing this data. If SDS section 2 is general or not clearly comparable, more information will be required.

In the U.S., OSHA does not require as mandatory information environmental hazard GHS classifications to be included on the SDS. For these U.S. products, comparison evidence will require review of the available Ecotoxicological data to demonstrate that a product is a safer substitute.

Circular Materials

Circular materials are those which support the principles of a circular economy through responsible capture and reuse. Examples include closed loop-solvents and industrial processing materials that have been reprocessed.*

The material will be considered circular if, after primary use, its recovery and reprocessing result in a new product rather than a waste. This can also apply to the reuse of product or process by-products.

Evidence includes:

• Life cycle analysis (LCA) showing process
• A statement from the supplier to confirm properties of material stating it's recycled, reused, recovered, or reprocessed nature

Social Impact Accreditation

These materials are supplied with a specific socially focused related claim, certification, or accreditation from an independent party. The certification/ accreditation may indicate the producer, supplier, or product meet certain standards which enable social impact to be realized in a material's production.*

Evidence of material certification aligned with delivering social value (e.g. fair wages, labor practices, and community investment) include but are not limited to materials certified as Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance, and UTZ.

Environmental Accreditation

These materials are supplied with a specific environmental–related claim, certification or accreditation from an independent party.*

Evidence of material certification aligned with delivering environmental benefits (e.g. land use benefits, water and waste impact reduction, biodegradability or regenerative practices of production) including but not limited to materials certified as EcoCert, European Ecolabel, Soil Association Organic, Nordic Swan, AISE Charter for Sustainable Cleaning, Rainforest Alliance, Low VOC label, RSPO.