More"I am pleased to report that we have raised the base funding required to initiate developing the green cleaning service standard," said Arthur Weissman, Ph.D., President and CEO of Green Seal, Inc. "We are grateful for the generosity and support of the charter companies who each contributed $10,000 toward developing the standard.
"We are now issuing a general call for stakeholders interested in participating in the standard, starting with the scoping phase," said Weissman. "Green Seal develops all of its environmental standards in an open and transparent process. There will be opportunity for all stakeholders or interested parties to comment when the standard is proposed for public review. In addition, stakeholders who want to be more actively involved can send Green Seal a message to that effect (email: greenseal@greenseal.org) with their contact information, if they have not already done so. We will strive to keep such stakeholders regularly informed, and actively solicit their feedback on key issues," he added.
"There is also still an opportunity for additional sponsors to get involved and assist with funding and enhancing the development process," said Weissman. "We are proceeding with current funds to develop a standard with additional stakeholder involvement beyond the public comment period. A more involved stakeholder process-involving a greater range of input and discussion to achieve a more formal consensus and to facilitate wider industry adoption-will require additional sponsors."
Sponsors can promote their involvement in corporate marketing materials, marketing communications, and public relations efforts, though some restrictions apply, says Weissman. Parties that could get certified under the new standard are not eligible to be sponsors.
Green Seal is an independent, non-profit organization that strives to achieve a healthier and cleaner environment by identifying and promoting products and services that cause less toxic pollution and waste, conserve resources and habitats, and minimize global warming and ozone depletion. Green Seal has no financial interest in the products or services that it certifies or recommends nor in any manufacturer or company. Green Seal's evaluations are based on state-of-the-art science and information using internationally recognized methods and procedures. Thus, Green Seal provides credible, objective, and unbiased information whose only purpose is to direct the purchaser to environmentally responsible products and services.
Green Seal provides the current "gold standard" for green cleaning product certification. The GS-37 standard (institutional cleaners), for example, has been recommended by the Federal government for adoption by all Federal agencies. Many states and municipalities have also adopted Green Seal product standards.
