ANSI Workshop Addresses Standards, Criteria for Sustainable Products

May 22, 2009 // Published as a news service by IHS

Consumers shop with sustainability in mind, placing value on the environmental and societal aspects of product manufacture, distribution, use and disposal, according to ANSI.

However, with the concepts of "green" and "socially responsible" subject to varied interpretations, government, consumers, industry and others are looking to product standards and criteria to help establish uniform technical requirements, methods, processes and practices that address sustainability.

In a discussion between standards/criteria developing organizations, the challenges involved in the development of successful sustainable performance criteria were addressed.

Panelists said that while there are various approaches to standards development, the single most important component of a successful standard is participation by an inclusive set of stakeholders.

Representatives from four different companies explained how they rely on standards and criteria to help them respond to consumer demand for environmentally responsible products, according to ANSI.

Panelists said at a minimum, product standards for sustainability must be "scientifically based and relevant." They should not be so "narrowly focused as to stifle innovation, but they should also avoid emotional criteria and remain mindful of economic viability," experts said.

Retailers also gave perspective on product standards for sustainability. Speakers described how their companies are working to market greener products to consumers and how sustainability standards are being used in conjunction with vendor scorecards or rating systems to compare products.

During the keynote address, participants learned that a "good" standard probably hurts. When improvement remains the chief goal of a standards development process, it can be painful to question long-held perceptions and build consensus. Yet, the quality of the final product justifies the effort.

Here are some conclusions and take-away messages from the workshop:

• There are pros and cons to each kind of standards development - proprietary, consensus-based and government regulation. A consensus-based development process offers advantages but there may be a need for a multi-pronged approach, with government regulations to set the floor and voluntary standards to raise the ceiling.
• There is a need for an overarching body that will coordinate and guide the process going forward. Both the public and private sectors should have roles in establishing next steps and examining the current standards landscape on both the U.S. and international levels.
• Consistent and globally-accepted nomenclature and terminology - the building blocks for any burgeoning industry - top the list of stakeholder needs. Until there is consensus, terms like "attribute" and "label" are at risk of being interpreted differently by consumers, standards developers, government and industry.
• Standards should be clearly written so they can be used for "reliable" certification. The marketplace needs claims that can be substantiated so consumers can reward good performance with their purchasing power and raise the baseline floor.
• Some participants said single-attribute standards reduce "complexity and confusion" in messaging while other participants said multi-attribute standards may address environmental risk-shifting or lead to increased consumer confidence.
• Labels and communications to consumers about the degree to which a product addresses sustainability concerns need to be uniform and transparent.

Presentations given during the event are available from ANSI.

Source: American National Standards Institute (ANSI).