Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 11th April 2024 Issue no. 1109
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Get involved in review of EcoLogo's Sanitary Paper Environmental Standard
EcoLogo, based in Ottowa, Canada, and one of North America's most trusted and recognisable ecolabels, is inviting members of the public to help transform the sanitary paper products industry by participating in the revision of its Sanitary Paper environmental standard.
Sanitary paper products, such as toilet tissue, facial tissue, kitchen towels, hand towels and table napkins, play a key role in supporting sanitation in homes, schools, hospitals and the food services industry. They are used for personal hygiene, used in the food services industry for the cleaning and shielding of surfaces, and are widely employed to absorb liquids. EcoLogo has announced the review and updating of its environmental standards for sanitary paper products under a new, consolidated product category: Sanitary Paper.
"Sanitary papers are widely used for personal hygiene and in the delivery of many sanitation services," says Angela Griffiths, Executive Director of the EcoLogo Programme. "Because of the prevalent use of this group of products, it is important to identify and advance the ways in which their environmental impacts may be minimised. The revised EcoLogo standard will define clear criteria that sanitary papers must meet before they can claim environmental leadership."
Preliminary research is being conducted to update EcoLogo's understanding of the environmental impacts across the lifecycles of these products. As in all EcoLogo standards, this revision will account for the resource extraction, manufacturing, use, and disposal stages of sanitary paper products to ensure the standard represents environmental leadership.
The EcoLogo Programme is reaching out to interested individuals and companies that want to participate in a process that will help to reduce the environmental and human health impacts of sanitary paper products.
EcoLogo standards are developed and reviewed in an open, public, transparent process. The approximately six-month review process will begin with interested stakeholders contacting the Programme to express their interest in participating in the review, followed later by the public release of the first draft of the standard, which will outline key environmental parameters to be addressed by the standard. Anyone is able to participate in the standard review process, including but not limited to product manufacturers, consumers, retailers, government agencies, academia and non-profit advocacy groups. After the standard is finalised, any manufacturer that demonstrates compliance with the standard is eligible for EcoLogo certification.
In early November, the EcoLogo Programme will release the first draft of this new consolidated standard for comment. It will notify and circulate the draft standard to all those that have enrolled as stakeholders; and the draft standard, together with further information about the standard review process, will be posted on the website:
The Programme's release of the draft will launch a 60-day consultation period in respect of the draft during which comments may be submitted to the Programme.
Later this year, the EcoLogo Programme will also be forming a Stakeholder Advisory Committee to support the standard review process. The work of the Stakeholder Advisory Committee will entail a more in-depth discussion of the issues that are identified during the stakeholder consultation period.
To express interest in serving on the Stakeholder Advisory Committee for the review of the Sanitary Paper standard:
The EcoLogo Programme asks those who are interested in participating in the revision of the Sanitary Paper standard:
For questions that pertain directly to the EcoLogo standard development and review process:
T: (613) 247-1900 ext. 229
E: [email protected]
EcoLogo is approved by the Global Ecolabelling Network, an international association of eco-labeling programs, as meeting the ISO 14024 standard. In 2010, The Programme became part of the UL global network, significantly expanding its reach as a leading certifier of the world's most environmentally preferable products.
20th October 2011