Green Seal Paint Standards

and Certification

Mark PetruzziVice President of

Certification

Overview of Presentation

• Significance of Standards, Certification in Procurement and Product Stewardship

• Background on Green Seal, Inc.• Green Seal’s Certification Program• Overview of current Paint

Standards• Update of GS-43 certifications

Significance of Standards,

Certification in Procurement

• Help identify green products/services• Verify legitimate environmental claims• Provide explicit, objective standards• Provide criteria for specifications and bids

Significance of Standards, Certification in Procurement

(con’t.)

• Certification demonstrates compliance

• Expert, independent assessment• Consider product performance• Can provide competitive bids if

standards set properly

Significance of Standards, Certification in

Procurement (con’t.)• Technical Basis:

– Use best available science– Base on life-cycle of product– Identify leadership levels to move

market

• Procedural Basis:– Use open and transparent process– No financial interest or conflict-of-

interest

Green Seal, Inc. Background

•Non-profit with environmental mission:

Green Seal is dedicated to safeguarding

the environment and transforming the

marketplace by promoting the

manufacture, purchase and use of

environmentally responsible products and

services.

Green Seal, Inc. Background (cont.)

• Science-based

• Exclusive focus on products, services,

purchasing, operations

• Multiple product categories

• Multiple criteria (life-cycle approach)

• No financial interest in products,

companies

Green Seal Meets Applicable Guidelines

for Certification

• ISO 14020 and 14024– Principles of Environmental Labeling– Principles and Procedures for Type I

EL

• EPA Guidelines for 3rd-Party Certifiers

• Member of the Global Ecolabelling Network

Green Seal Meets Applicable

Guidelines for Certification (con’t.)• Key attributes:

– open, transparent process– based on life-cycle evaluation– impartial; no financial

interest/conflict– leadership levels in standards– developed by consensus

Green Seal’s Certification Program

• GS standards in 35 product categories

• Over 800 hundred products/services certified– range from windows, electric chillers,

and lodging facilities to institutional cleaners, paints, paper products, etc.

How Green Seal SetsEnvironmental

Standards• Establish study category• Call for stakeholders• Appoint Stakeholder Committee (incl. users,

manufacturers, trade groups, government, environmentalists, others)*

• Environmental evaluation• Draft standard• Public review• Published Response-to-Comments• Stakeholder ballots* • Issue final standard

* where resources allow

Sample StakeholdersManufacturers• Seventh Generation• Spartan Chemical• Clean Environment Co.• Church & Dwight• 3MUsers• US Postal Service• Aberdeen Proving Ground• Int’l Exec Housekeepers

Assn• American Federation of

State, County, & Munic. Employees

• ServiceMaster Industries

Government• City of Santa Monica• MN Ofc Of Env Assist.• MA Exec Ofc of Env Affairs• US EPA• US GSAEnvironmental• INFORM• Global Toxics Campaign,

WWF• Washington Toxics Coalition• Environmental Health

CoalitionOthers• UMass Toxics Use Reduction

Institute• Individual experts

GS-11 OverviewGreen Seal

Environmental Standard for Paints

This Standard establishes environmental requirements for paints. The standard does not include stains, clear finishes, or paints sold in aerosol cans.

GS-11 Overview Product-Specific

Performance Requirements

• Interior Topcoats:– Scrubbability – Hiding Power (Opacity)– Washability (Stain Removal)

• Exterior Topcoats– Hiding Power (Opacity)

GS-11 Overview Product-Specific Environmental Requirements

• Chemical Component Limitations – VOC limits– Aromatic compound limits

• Chemical Component Restrictions– 25 restricted compounds, including

methylene chloride, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, vinyl chloride, formaldehyde, certain phthalates, and heavy metals

GS-11 Overview Packaging & Labeling

Requirements • Packaging

– Paint cans and their components are not fabricated with lead

• Labeling Requirements– Basis of certification must be appear with the

Green Seal Mark:– “This product meets Green Seal environmental

standards for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other ingredients.”

– Include a brief statement discouraging disposal into drains and encouraging consultation with local authorities for disposal or recycling

– Paints formulated without VOCs shall be designated Class A.

GC-3 OverviewGreen Seal

Environmental Criteria for Anti-Corrosive

PaintsEstablishes environmental requirements for anti-corrosive paints, defined as coatings formulated and recommended for use in preventing the corrosion of ferrous metal substrates

GC-3 Overview Product-Specific

Performance Requirements

• Adhesion • Hiding Power (Opacity) • Corrosion Resistance

GC-3 Overview Product-Specific Environmental Requirements

• Chemical Component Limitations – VOC limits– Aromatic Compounds

• Chemical Component Restrictions– 25 restricted compounds, including

methylene chloride, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, vinyl chloride, formaldehyde, certain phthalates, and heavy metals

GC-3 Overview Packaging & Labeling

Requirements• Toxics in Packaging

– Paint cans and their components are not fabricated with lead

• Labeling Requirements– Basis of certification must be appear with the

Green Seal Mark:– “This product meets Green Seal Environmental

Criteria for anti-corrosive paints. Product does not exceed 250 g/l volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which can contribute to air pollution. Product does not contain certain toxic chemicals found in similar paints.”

– Paints formulated without VOCs shall be designated Class A.

Purpose of GS-43Recycled Paint

Standard• Reduce amount of leftover paint in

waste stream: convert into viable product– comparable in performance to virgin– close the loop

• Increase confidence in consumers– preconceptions, misperceptions– control variability of marketed products

Genesis ofRecycled Paint Standard

•PSI’s Paint Product Stewardship Initiative – Markets Workgroup•Need for certification- ensure good quality recycled content paints- purchasers can identify these

•Funded by CIWMB through San Joaquin County

Issues in Recycled Paint Standard development• Ensuring performance

– consistent levels with inherently variable product

– teaming with Master Painters Institute

– requirement to meet virgin paint standards

• Including consolidated paint– more variable, less predictable

Issues in Recycled Paint Standard

development (cont.)• Presence of prohibited

ingredients– prohibit in virgin additives– testing of recycled content?

• Combining exterior and interior– commonly done in consolidated– long-term performance, health

issues?

Issues in Recycled Paint Standard

development (cont.)• Post-consumer content

– standardize protocols to ensure quality– Federal, State procurement specs vary

• VOCs– recycled may be high, esp. high gloss,

color– balance with use, waste diversion

goals– Federal, State requirements vary

GS-43 Overview Scope of StandardEstablishes environmental and performance requirements for recycled-content interior and exterior latex paint, defined as paint made by consolidation and reprocessing or remanufacturing

This Standard does not apply to stains, clear finishes, paints sold in aerosol cans, or

oil-based paints.

GS-43 Overview Collecting & Storing

Requirements• Original container with a readable label• Visually match with label • No solvent based paints or specialty paints • Physical inspection shows paint is free of :

– Biological growth– Putrefaction – Skinning – Livering

– Hard settling of the pigment– Corrosion of the container – Excessive debris– Curdling or other evidence of

being frozen– Heavy metals

• Paint filtered through a 300-micron or finer filter

GS-43 Overview Product –Specific

Performance Requirements

• Meets the applicable MPI detailed performance standard

• Tested for pH, viscosity, fineness of grind, and gloss

GS-43 Overview Product –Specific Health

& Environmental Requirements

• Chemical Component Limitations– VOC limits– Aromatic compound limits

• Chemical Component Restrictions– 25 restricted compounds, including

methylene chloride, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, vinyl chloride, formaldehyde, certain phthalates, and heavy metals

GS-43 Overview Packaging & Labeling

Requirements•Product Packaging –Paint cans and their components are not fabricated with lead –Recyclable product containers used where local recycling opportunities exist.

•Labeling Requirements–Include a brief statement discouraging improper disposal and encouraging consultation with local authorities for disposal requirements or recycling opportunities.

•Basis of certification must be appear with the Green Seal Mark:–“This product meets Green Seal’s environmental standard for consolidated recycled-content latex paint based on its use of a minimum 95% by volume post-consumer material and product performance”– “This product meets Green Seal’s environmental standard for reprocessed recycled-content latex paint based on its use of a minimum 50% by volume post-consumer material and product performance”

GS-43 Overview End of Life Management• Unused latex and non-latex paint shall

be removed, utilized, disposed of properly

• Leftover paint from remanufacturing process shall be utilized where there are existing markets

• Metal and plastic paint containers, pallets, and packaging shall be recycled where there are existing markets.

Update on GS-43 Certifications• Currently two manufacturers being

evaluated– One consolidated and one reprocessed

• Some issues include:– Meeting MPI requirements (time)– Documentation of criteria

• QA/QC or log documents– Obtaining disclosure from raw material

supplier• Need complete MSD Sheets for “ingredient”

and/or• Need to see all proprietary information• Need complete formulations, hazardous and non-

hazardous (virgin and secondary industrial materials)

Conclusions• Product stewardship, procurement

aided by certification• Certification must follow substantive

and procedural guidelines• Green Seal is US pioneer in

environmental certification• Recycled paint standard will provide

basis for product stewardship