as found in Consumer Report, March 2009…………
What the green- certification labels really mean on paint..
Green Seal Certified-
Green Seal’s paint standard is based on an assessment that includes raw materials, VOC’s, and performance. ” This approach is a little more comprehensive than something that is looking just at VOC content,” says Christine Chare, Green Seal’s director of science and standards. But Green Seal relies on manufacturers’ VOC measurements. To qualify for Green Seal, VOC content must be 50g/l or lower for flat and 100 g/l or lower for nonflat paints. Companies pay a $2,500 to $10,000 fee to have paints evaluated and to use the Green Seal logo. Olympic Premium carries this certification.
Green Guard-
Green Guard uses an environmental-chamber test to measure off-gassing from drying paint. Total VOC’s must be detected only at trace levels to qualify for this certification. “You can have chemicals in paint that are exempt from current VOC regulations because they’re not ozone-depleting but they still get emitted into the air and present an inhalation exposure,” says Green Guard founder Marilyn Black. Companies pay at least $3000 fee to use the logo on their products. Bejamin Moor Aura, Freshaire Choice and Sherwin- Willians Harmony carry the certification.
Green Sure-
Its criteria reference recognized standards, but GreenSure is self regulated by Sherwin-Williams and covers only its products. Paints must have a VOC level of less than 50g/l to qualify. ”The standards appear sound but provide less assurance than those from a third-party programs,” says Urvashi Rangan, a Consumer Union senior scientist.
