Product Certifications
Manufacturers of eco goods will seek certification from different organisations to show that they have met certain sustainability standards to encourage the customer to choose them and to give the customer faith in their products.
At Green Blue You we look out for the certifications we would expect in the products that we stock to show that they meet a level of sustainability standard and that they are cruelty free. However, we also believe that certification is only half of the story- we seek to stock products from manufacturers that are not only meeting standards set for them by certifying bodies but are striving for continuous improvement and setting themselves ambitious sustainability targets. We also recognise that smaller companies and start ups might not have the time or the administrative structures (particularly early on) to go through the certification process. In these cases we will strive to satisfy ourselves that the relevant criteria have been met, including by asking difficult questions if we need to.
Below is a table of some of the certifications and standards (which also include safety standards) which you will find on our products. This is a living document which we will develop and update over time and seek to bring you more information, and critique of the various sustainability schemes. Watch out for this as a topic of a future Green Blue You Blog...
Certification name |
About |
Where to find it at Green Blue You? |
Allergy UK is a leading national charity providing support, advice and information for those living with allergic disease. It works with manufacturers who wish to put their products through its endorsement process and only products meeting the scientific or clinical protocols set out by Allergy UK are awarded the Seal of Approval or Allergy Friendly Product Award. |
Look for this particularly on our laundry and cleaning products which have Allergy UK approval |
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The Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) is a global not-for-profit organisation aiming make global cotton production better for the people who produce it, better for the environment it grows in and better for the sector’s future. When you see the BCI logo or ‘On-Product Mark’ on packaging, it means that you are buying a majority cotton product, from a retailer or brand that is committed to sourcing Better Cotton and investing in BCI Farmers. |
Find this on our WUKA period pants |
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Climate partner offers companies climate action solutions including carbon footprint calculators, climate action strategies all the way to the certification of “climate neutral products” with the support of international carbon offset projects. It provides a unique label including a URL where the customer can find out about the carbon emissions associated with the product, the reduction strategies in place and the offsets supported |
Find this on our Here we Flo condoms |
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In the Fair Rubber Association, companies engaged in rubber products, Non- Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and individuals work together to ensure an improvement of the working and living conditions of the primary producers of natural latex (rubber), and to promote the environmentally friendly (chemical free) production of natural rubber. Products achieving the Fair Rubber logo fulfil a set of criteria of Fair Trade in natural rubber. The association is set up so that rubber producers themselves can decide how to use the premium from licensees of the logo. |
Find this on our Hanx Condoms |
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
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FSC promotes environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world’s forests. FSC has developed a set of ten principles and 70 criteria that apply to FSC-certified forests around the world, including around compliance with laws, worker's rights, indigenous people's rights, environmental values and impact, high conservation values etc. |
Look for this certification on cardboard packaging or wood products. For example, our Georganics beechwood toothbrushes are from FSC managed forests in Germany. Several of the ranges we stock have FSC certified packaging. |
ISO standards (the International Organization for Standardization)
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The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is a non-governmental system of national agencies whose aim is the advancement of universal standards for government and business. The full set of ISO standards includes standards for environmental management, safety and healthcare and transportation.
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Find this, for example, on our re-usable nappies from Tots Bots in which the Bamboo fibre is processed within strict environmental guidelines according to ISO 9000 and 14000. |
Leaping Bunny (Cruelty Free International)
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The Leaping Bunny Logo is the product of a group of eight USA national animal protection groups forming the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics (CCIC). The CCIC promotes a single comprehensive standard and an internationally recognized Leaping Bunny Logo. It works with companies to help make shopping for animal-friendly products easier and more trustworthy. Cruelty Free International works with this partnership to help non USA based manufacturers to become Leaping Bunny Certified. |
Find this logo on many of our cleaning, bathroom and personal care products. |
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STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® is one of the world's best-known labels for textiles tested for harmful substances. Every component of relevant articles is tested for harmful substances so that this standard verified that the article is harmless for human health. The test is conducted on the basis of an extensive OEKO-TEX® criteria catalog. This takes into account numerous regulated and non-regulated substances, which may be harmful to human health. |
Find this on our reusable sanitary ware by WUKA and Bloom & Nora and our reusable nappies. |
Organic – The Soil Association
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Organic is a system of farming and food production, that aims to produce high-quality food or other crops, using methods that benefit the whole food system, from people to planet, plant health to animal welfare. The Soil Association offers organic certification schemes across food, farming, catering, health and beauty, textiles and forestry. |
Many of our ranges or products are certified organic. For example, all of Greenscents products are certified organic and contain at least 70% organic ingredients, as well as our organic pads and tampons from &Sisters and Here we Flo. |
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
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People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is the largest animal rights organization in the world, with more than 6.5 million members and supporters. PETA focuses its attention on the four areas in which the largest numbers of animals suffer the most intensely for the longest periods of time: in laboratories, in the food industry, in the clothing trade, and in the entertainment industry. To be PETA certified manufacturers have either signed PETA’s statement of assurance or provided a statement verifying that they do not conduct or commission any animal tests on ingredients, formulations, or finished products and that they pledge not to do so in the future. |
Find this on all our Here we Flo personal care and sexual health products and our WUKA period pants (it might surprise you to think these would not be cruelty free but in fact many such products for the USA market in particular are tested on animals). |
Round Table on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO)
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The RSPO is an industry-led initiative set up in 2004 in response to growing evidence of the devastation that palm oil production resulted in. The RSPO guidelines state that producers should respect and consider local people, guarantee that no 'high conservation value' (HCV) areas are cleared, and minimise environmental impacts of production. When companies become members of RSPO they enter into a timebound commitment to become more sustainable. Companies achieving RSPO certification are those which reach a set of principles and criteria set out by RSPO for sustainable palm oil production. |
Faith in Nature soaps and shampoo bars contain RSPO certified palm oil derivatives. (We also stock palm oil free soap and shampoo bars so that our customers have a choice) . |
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Founded in 1944, The Vegan Society is a registered educational charity that provides information and guidance on various aspects of veganism. The Vegan Trademark was developed to help users identify that a product is free from animal ingredients and is now on over 50,000 products worldwide. |
Found on all our Faith in Nature hair and body products, our WUKKA period pants and more. Please note many of our other products are also Vegan (search on this in collection filters). |