Green Daily

Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL), known for product safety and evaluating companies on standards compliance, has launched two new programs to make sure companies are as green as they say they are.

The programs, to be launched early next year in the U.S. and Europe and later in Asia, should help consumer and retailers make better choices amidst a slew of products stamped with dubious green-claims.

UL's validation service will audit and test a product and provide companies with detailed results. The environmental certification process will be based on eco-standards in the product's industry. If the green-touting product passes, it gets a UL label, or some yet-to-be designed, probably green-colored, stamp. Products would get reviewed regularly in case the green wears off.

Unlike a lot of other organizations that do this type of thing, this not-for-profit has a long history with the whole standards business -- they've been around since 1894. While things are still pretty confusing and misleading on the green product front, anyone taking on greenwashing, on any level, should make life a bit easier for the green-weary shopper.