Green Seal Launches LEED Paint Certification
Global nonprofit organization Green Seal recently announced the launch of a new certification standard for paints and coatings that fully aligns with the latest version of the LEED green building rating system.
“LEED certification encourages the uptake of sustainable practices, including the use of low-emitting indoor materials that protect human health,” said Melissa Baker, SVP, LEED Technical Development, USGBC. “Green Seal’s updated paint certification raises the bar for protecting indoor environmental quality and offers a simple and effective path for complying with our most health-protective requirements in LEED.”
Products certified to Green Seal’s updated GS-11 paint standard are designated by the U.S. Green Building Council as complying with the requirements for the LEED v4 and v4.1 low-emitting materials credit. In addition, Green Seal ensures that certified products use environmentally preferable packaging materials and contain ingredients that are safer for water bodies.
The updated GS-11 Standard for Paints, Coatings, Stains and Sealers is also compliant with WELL v.1 and Fitwell standards.
“Green Seal's paint standard has rewarded leading manufacturers for low-VOC content, safer formulas and effective functional performance since it was first issued nearly 30 years ago,” said Doug Gatlin, CEO of Green Seal. “With our latest standard update, purchasers, facility managers and consumers can confidently choose paints that fully align with LEED v4.1 green building certification and are verified to the highest standard of health, safety and functional performance.”
According to Green Seal, the new paint certification is the only mark in the marketplace to qualify products for both LEED v4.1 credit requirements and Amazon’s Climate Pledge Friendly badge.
“I was a real estate developer for nearly two decades, and I know that selecting the right paint for a project can be challenging, especially when you’re trying to identify a paint that reduces exposure to toxic chemicals,” said Gina Ciganik, CEO of Healthy Buildings Network. “Chemicals that are harmful to children’s development, like endocrine-disrupting alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs) are still all too prevalent in low-VOC paint products. Green Seal’s multi-attribute paint standard is widely trusted by purchasers because it addresses not just VOC emissions but also chemical content, making it simple to identify truly safer products.”
The company went on to report that the certification will indicate whether a paint or coating product is safer for people and the planet than similar products while providing uncompromising performance. In its certification, VOC chemical content is restricted, and VOC emissions testing is required to ensure healthier indoor air quality.
The standard also restricts carcinogens, reproductive toxins, hazardous air pollutants, preservatives that emit formaldehyde, heavy metals, alkylphenol ethoxylates, and a host of other harmful chemicals, ensuring certified products are safer for building occupants while providing uncompromising functional performance.
To download the full standard, click here.
