MTS
 
 
SMaRT CONSENSUS SUSTAINABLE
PRODUCT STANDARDS
 
SMaRTŠ And Other Standards
 
SMaRT incorporates Many Leading
Standards Applicable for Sustainable
Products
 
 
 
Certified Green-e Power
 
Certified Organic Products
       
 
The non-profit organization Center for Resource Solutions established the Green-e Renewable Electricity Certification Program to encourage consumer confidence in buying "green" electricity. Green-e is the nation's first voluntary certification and verification program for "green" electricity products. The criteria requires that at least 50% of the supply is generated from the sun, water, wind, burning of wastes (biomass) or geothermal heat from the earth. In addition, in the use of any traditional fuel, emissions of sulfur dioxide (which causes acid rain), nitrogen oxide (which causes smog) and carbon dioxide (which causes climate change) must be lower than average. The companies that receive the Green-e designation must agree to an annual audit to ensure they have purchased a satisfactory amount of "renewable" power.
http://www.green-e.org
 
Organic foods are one of the fastest growing segments in agriculture due to public desire for reduced exposure to chemical health hazards and support for a cleaner environment. The principal guideline defining "organic" is the use of materials and practices to enhance ecological balance. Organic agriculture relies on natural, time-honored practices rather than the chemical shortcuts that became fashionable in the last half of the 20th century. USDA's uniform organic standards and label benefit both food and other agricultural products like fiber and now even plastic. Organic means the product was grown without pesticides, fertilizers, genetically modified organisms, antibiotics, hormones, or endocrine disruptors.
http://www.ota.com
       
       
 
Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)
Sustainability Reporting Guidelines
2000) Social Equity Performance Indicators
 
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
       
 
GRI Social performance indicators cover 35 items to report on for workplace, human rights, suppliers, and products and services. GRI is a long-term, multi-stakeholder, international undertaking whose mission is to develop and disseminate globally applicable sustainability reporting guidelines for voluntary use by organizations reporting on the economic, environmental, and social dimensions of their activities, products and services. The social dimension of sustainable products captures the impact of a manufacturer's activity on society, including on employees, customers, community, supply chain, and business partners. Unlike the environmental metrics above, social indicators are not quantitative and still contain a degree of subjectivity in terms of what is good or bad.
http://www.sustainableproducts.com/susproddef2.html#performanceindicators
 
As required by well settled international law, any product communication about sustainable, green, or environmentally preferable products, or about more than one environmental benefit, e.g., "ozone friendly and non toxic", must be backed by LCA. LCA evaluates and discloses the environmental benefits of products over their full commercial cycle, from raw materials extraction to final disposition. On behalf of MTS, Forbo Linoleum and Philips placed the ad "Is it Green or Greenwash?" in the leading construction and design press promoting LCA.'
http://www.sustainableproducts.com/susproddef.html