BASF's SELECT Eco-Label Manager Triples in Size

FLORHAM PARK, N.J.BASF announced its SELECT (sustainability, eco-labeling and environmental certification tracking) Eco-Label Manager has nearly tripled in size to 270 programs, such as environmental certifications, eco-labels and databases, up from100 programs the previous year. The SELECT Eco-Label Manager is a database that manages the abundance of eco-labels, environmental claims, directories and ratings systems strategically by allowing users to search, analyze and compare these programs in a structured and consistent format.

The database is available online and is free to registered participants, including BASF customers. There are currently more than 480 registered users of SELECT from 30 different countries.

Eco-labels are often used to demonstrate that a product meets a certain level of environmental performance. Currently, there are more than 400 eco-label programs globally, making it difficult to not only keep track of them, but to understand their requirements. Many businesses are spending considerable time and resources trying to understand and manage these classifications.

Nearly 300 programs are categorized into different market sectors. Building and construction (B&C) is the largest sector with 94 programs represented in SELECT. BASF has a strong B&C product portfolio that provides customers with energy efficiency, heat management and concrete technologies with reduced environmental footprints.

Cleaning products is the next big category with 47 programs posted. This is a common type of environmental label because certified cleaning products can support the achievement of green building ratings.

Additional market sectors include automotive, electrical and electronics, furniture, epackaging, paper, personal are, textiles, transportation and universal.

The SELECT Eco-Label tool is continuing to add programs from all regions of the world. Programs included are based in the following countries: United States, Canada, Brazil, Austria, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Germany, France, Sweden, Belgium, Japan and Switzerland.

Future changes to SELECT include the addition of fields for: land usebiodiversity requirements, toxicity potential, water use, supply chain criteria (traceability, and hot pot analysis) and social performance criteria (corporate level performance and product level performance). BASF is also working to implement an individual profile that registrants can complete to get email updates when individual programs are changed or updated, or when programs are changed, updated or added to a particular market sector, geography or type in which they are interested.