Green Product Certification
Green Clean Institute
Add the GCI Green Product Seal to your Green and Sustainable products or services
Ph: (815) 793-7043 or office@gcicertified.com
The Green Clean Institute has been active in the Green and sustainable sector for nearly twenty years. The initial goal which continues to this day is "Truth in Advertising" and a program to separate the Green pretenders from the honestly Green products and services. In an era of exaggerated claims (Greenwashing), our goal is to review products from a consumer viewpoint with an emphasis on honest and valid claims. We do not test products, but we review the credibility of their advertised claims. Review of legitimate labs and research projects aid in our review process.
We are actively inviting good quality products and services to apply for a credible and honest evaluation by the auditors of the Green Clean Institute. The process is fairly simple and direct.
- Complete the application form and pay the $500 fee. Refundable if we do not accept the application.
- Submit your support and/or research documents. We are happy to sign an NDA to protect your information
- Submit any advertising where your claims are place in all public forums or product displays.
- The review process includes a review of claims and a search of ingredients against known problem ingredients per national list like EPA or CERLA.
- If we accept application, the final payment of $1000 will be required.
- The Green Clean Institute will:
- Provide a GCI Green Certification document and report of our findings.
- We will list your product and associated articles on our websites.
- Your company can use our GCI Green certified logo during the period of participation.
- Your company can use the supplied GCI certified logo on advertising and product labels while active in the GCI program.
- Additional or unique formulated product in the same company may be added for $500 each in the same application process.
All GCI product certifications are renewed annually. Any reformulation should be submitted to GCI for updating purposes. Annual reviews will include updates in the product.
DOWNLOAD THE GCI GREEN PRODUCT CERTIFICATION APPLICATION
All certifications are for a period of one year and must be renewed from year to years. Changes to the products, ingredients, or services that substantially alters the product, ingredients, or service require notice of an update be sent to the Green Clean Institute as soon as possible.
The Green Clean Institute, Inc explicitly assumes no participation, ownership, or liability for any product in review of certification or certified in the past. All comments, concerns, and correspondence for a product or service should be directed to the manufacturer or provider of the product or service.
The Green Clean Institute, Inc is not a testing facility. We review products or services for overt violations of safe ingredient and public claims made by the applicant firm. Any documentation or testing must be submitted for review will include sufficient documentation of the claims for said product(s).
The Green Clean Institute Certified logo is filed as a federal trademark. Any unauthorized use of the logo is an assumed liability or charge by any party making use of the trademark. Should any organization or person fail to retain an active relationship with the Green Clean Institute, Inc requirements, the use of the logo is considered unauthorized and must be removed from any website, advertising, or labeling. Failure to do so is an assumed liability or charge or $1500 and an agreement to pay the fee for the use of the trademark.
Subsidiaries that use the product or service may promote the GCI Green product certification as long as the formulation and brand/label is not altered. Resale of certified products may promote the GCI Green product certification as long as the primary brand/label remains on the product. GCI can accommodate variations of the brand for subsidiaries when included in the certification application or by request after certification.
TERMS
- GREEN is meant to be a reference to the "Health Impact" on buildings and people in treated areas or who may use a product, ingredient, or service.
- SUSTAINABLE is meant to be a reference to the "Environmental Impact", such as resources used, energy expended, and disposal concern by any product.
- ORGANIC means that the ingredient or compound came from something that once lived.
- NATURAL means that the ingredient or compound (mineral, gas, or liquid) is found natural in our world, such as water, pumice, or wood.
- CARBON FOOTPRINT refers to the energy cost throughout the full lifecycle of any product.
- TOXICITY refers to any ingredient or compound that may adversely affect humans, animals, or pollute the environment.
- RECYCLED means part of all of the materials used in the product or packaging are from reclaimed materials.
- BIODEGRADABLE refers to a product that more easily decomposes in nature.