With great pride we announce the launch of a new Eco Sphere Academy certification dedicated to products. This certification will help a greater number of companies to make their own contribution to the reduction of plastic waste, allowing even a single product to be certified as Plastic Free.
The decision to develop the Plastic Free certification for products was born in relation to the different needs of the companies we have dealt with. In fact, the certification of the plastic waste management system has not always been applicable in a short time to manufacturing companies and the food industry.
The goal of this certification is to help brands communicate to their customers the choices made in terms of the choice of sustainable materials and therefore the ethical value of a product in which fossil-based plastic is absent or replaced by compostable alternatives.
Through the Plastic Free certification for products, companies will be able to avoid the risk of false accusations of greenwashing and be more attractive to customers who are attentive to the issue of sustainability.
The plastic free certification for products was carried out in collaboration with Control Union and Race for Water who collaborated with us to define the Plastic Free product certification standard.
Control Union is a leading international certification body with extensive experience in developing certification standards.
The Race for Water Foundation focuses on protecting our oceans from plastic waste and has offered their expert advice and critical review during the standard's redevelopment.
Companies wishing to apply for certification can find more information on our website (on the Plastic Free product certification page) and on the Control Union website. Additionally, we recommend those interested in applying for certification to register for our free webinar, scheduled for Wednesday 2nd November at 9:30 am and again at 4:00 pm (UK time). This webinar (in English) will cover all the details needed to understand the new certification, including:
Here are the statements of the leaders of the three organizations involved.
Franco Costantini, MD of Control Union UK, states:
“It is exciting to see this standard re-launching. The previous version was highly successful, and this new iteration will build on that, bringing increased robustness, a greater range of categories and clarity on how to deal with bio-based, compostable plastic alternatives. We believe it is ideally placed to help brands communicate clearly with their consumers that they are taking plastic waste seriously, by making a Plastic Free claim consumers can trust.”
Giuseppe Sarua Cinquegrana, President of Eco Sphere Academy, comments:
“We are thrilled to propose an important certification tool for products without any contamination from inorganic plastics. After the certification of plastic free company management systems and that of plastic free events, we have found in the international market a great need for a solution for products. The plastic free certification for products developed in collaboration with Control Union UK will finally be able to give recognition to alternative solutions without plastic components, both in the source material, both in the content and in the packaging, giving life to a new reliable and crystalline environmental responsibility mark.”
And Camille Rollin, General Director of Race for Water adds:
“Transparency on the composition of materials, packaging and products is a key element to help consumers and companies make enlightened choices regarding their impacts on the environment. This new standard provides the guarantee of the absence of conventional plastic which is made from fossil fuel, which creates alarming level of contamination to human health and the environment during its production, use, and end of life. Hopefully this new standard will motivate our society to go even further to put in place new production and consumption patterns, free from single use products and free from toxic chemicals. As it is in nature, zero waste production of any kind should be our common goal. Any materials, packaging, products should always be designed to remain in the loop harmlessly!”
