GREENGUARD Environmental Institute
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[edit] GREENGUARD Environmental Institute
The GREENGUARD Environmental Institute is an industry-independent organization that aims to protect human health and improve quality of life by enhancing indoor air quality and reducing people’s exposure to chemicals and other pollutants. As an ISO-IEC Guide 65:1996 accredited, third-party certifying body, the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute certifies products and materials for low chemical emissions and serves as a public resource for choosing healthier products and materials for indoor environments.
The GREENGUARD Certification Program℠ requires that products undergo independent, scientific testing and ongoing monitoring of their chemical emissions. Only products that meet GREENGUARD’s stringent emissions standards qualify for certification. These standards are based on established criteria from key public health agencies. The GREENGUARD Environmental Institute is guided by an independent advisory board that consists of experts in the areas of indoor air quality, public and environmental health, building design and construction, and public policy.
More than 10,000 products on the market today are GREENGUARD Certified, representing over 350 manufacturers and 19 industries. The GREENGUARD Product Guide, the organization's online database of low-emitting products, helps people identify certified products and is searchable by product category, manufacturer, sustainable credits, product attributes, and certification type. GREENGUARD Certification is broadly recognized and accepted by sustainable building programs and building codes worldwide.
[edit] History
The GREENGUARD Environmental Institute was founded in 2001 by indoor air quality scientist Dr. Marilyn Black. Her vision was to create a third-party product certifier that could educate consumers and industry professionals about the importance of good indoor air quality and low-emitting products.
[edit] GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certification
The GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certification was GREENGUARD’s first certification offering. Products that are GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certified® meet strict chemical emissions limits and are designed for use in office environments and other indoor spaces. GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certification gives credence to manufacturers’ sustainability claims, backing them with empirical scientific data from an unbiased, third-party organization.
[edit] GREENGUARD Children & Schools Certification
In 2005, the GREENGUARD Children & Schools Certification was launched to address the indoor air quality needs of schools, daycares, and other sensitive environments in which children spend a lot of time. As such, it enforces stricter chemical emissions limits than the original certification. The GREENGUARD Children & Schools standard is referenced by both the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) and the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Building Rating System.
[edit] Social Media
The GREENGUARD Environmental Institute launched its social media presence in 2010, actively engaging with consumers, manufacturers, architects, and others through Twitter, a Facebook, and its very own blog, Certifiably Green.
[edit] Advisory Board
The GREENGUARD Environmental Institute's advisory board is made up of a diverse group of experts with a common interest in indoor air quality and public health. Members are volunteers who are not compensated for their participation, but whose insights into the environmental and health impacts of planning, designing, constructing, and occupying buildings help shape GREENGUARD's growth and development.
Advisory Board Members
Marilyn Black, PhD, Air Quality Sciences, Inc.
Penny Bonda, Ecoimpact Consulting
Laura Case, Emory University
Dagmar Epsten, The Epsten Group
Debra Harris, PhD, IDR Studio, Inc.
Bob Kobet, Sustainaissance International
Michaella Wittmann, HDR
Ex Officio Advisory Board Members
Paul Murray, Herman Miller, Inc.
Lou Newett, Knoll, Inc.
Mike Lynam, Knauf Insulation
[edit] Staff Members
Henning Bloech, LEED AP – Executive Director
Susan Heil, LEED AP - Director of Marketing
Mark Rossolo - Director of Public Affairs
Rachel Belew, LEED Green Associate - Public Relations + Communications Manager
Paul Bates, LEED AP BD + C – Market Outreach Manager
Josh Jacobs, LEED AP ID +C - Technical Information & Public Affairs Manager
Ethleen Howell, LEED Green Associate – Operations Manager
Maria Rutland, LEED AP ID + C - Marketing Specialist
Mandi Joyner, LEED AP - Marketing Specialist
Allison Laney, LEED AP - Marketing Coordinator
Kathryn Brock, LEED Green Associate - Marketing Coordinator
Vondia Wells - Technical Operations Specialist
Phyllis Faulkner - Operations Coordinator
[edit] Ken Dillon Memorial Fellowship
The GREENGUARD Environmental Institute awards the Ken Dillon Memorial Fellowship each year to a graduate or undergraduate student studying indoor environments with an emphasis on the health effects of indoor air quality. Dr. Henry Kenneth Dillon, a founding member of the GREENGUARD advisory board and Associate Professor of Environmental Health Sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), was a leading researcher in the field of indoor air quality and indoor pollutant sources.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
GREENGUARD Environmental Institute
