GS-21 SECOND EDITION SEPTEMBER 1, 2011

Transcription

1 GS-21 GREEN SEAL STANDARD FOR POWDERED LAUNDRY BLEACH SECOND EDITION SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 This standard has been superseded by the GS-48 and GS-51 Standards for Laundry Care Products, First Edition, January 23, Green Seal, Inc Connecticut Ave. NW, Ste 872 Washington, DC USA (202) FAX (202) Green Seal s Standards are copyrighted to protect Green Seal s publication rights. There are no restrictions on using the criteria in the design or evaluation of products Green Seal, Inc. All Rights Reserved

2 GREEN SEAL Green Seal is a non-profit organization whose mission is to use science-based programs to empower consumers, purchasers, and companies to create a more sustainable world. Green Seal sets leadership standards that aim to reduce, to the extent technologically and economically feasible, the environmental, health, and social impacts throughout the lifecycle of products, services, and companies. The standards may be used for conformity assessment, purchaser specifications, and public education. Green Seal offers certification of products, services, and companies in conformance with its standards. For additional information on Green Seal or any of its programs, contact: Green Seal 1001 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 827 Washington, DC (202) greenseal@greenseal.org

3 September 1, 2011 POWDERED LAUNDRY BLEACH, GS-21 3 GREEN SEAL STANDARD FOR POWDERED LAUNDRY BLEACH, GS-21 TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD... 4 ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS SCOPE PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS PRODUCT-SPECIFIC ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS PRODUCT TOXICOLOGICAL REQUIREMENTS PRODUCT ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS ANIMAL TESTING PACKAGING REQUIREMENTS... 9 ANNEX A APPENDIX... 11

4 September 1, 2011 POWDERED LAUNDRY BLEACH, GS-21 4 FOREWORD General. The final issued standard was developed in an open and transparent process with stakeholder input that included producers, users, and general interests. The requirements in the standard are based on an assessment of the environmental, health, or social impacts associated with the products, services, or organizations covered in the scope of the standard. The requirements included in the standard are subject to revision. Provisions for safety have not been included in this standard. This standard neither modifies nor supersedes laws and regulations. Compliance with this Standard is not a substitute for, and does not assure, compliance with any applicable law or regulations. Compliance with all applicable laws and regulations is a required prerequisite for the manufacturing and marketing of the products. This standard (and any corresponding conformity assessment) presumes compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. Products, services, or organizations that are substantially similar to those covered by this standard in terms of function and life cycle considerations may be evaluated against the intent of the requirements of this standard, accounting for relevant differences between the intended scope of the Standard and the actual product, service, or organization to be evaluated. This standard may not anticipate features of the product that may significantly, and undesirably, increase its impact on the environment, health, or society. In such a situation, Green Seal will ordinarily amend its standards to account for the unanticipated environmental, health, and societal impacts. Normative references (e.g., other standards) in this standard intend to refer to the most recent edition of the normative reference. Edition. This version is the Second Edition from September 1, 2011 (with editorial changes made on October 1, 2011) and replaces the First Edition August 30, Disclaimer of Liability. Green Seal TM, as the developer of this standard, shall not incur any obligations or liability for any loss or damages, including, without limitation, indirect, consequential, special, or incidental damages arising out of or in connection with the interpretation or adoption of, reliance upon, or any other use of this Standard by any party. Green Seal makes no express or implied warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose, nor any other express or implied warranty with respect to this Standard. Tests may be required by the standard that involve safety considerations. Adequate safeguards for personnel and property should be employed in conducting such tests.

5 September 1, 2011 POWDERED LAUNDRY BLEACH, GS-21 5 ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS CFR. Code of Federal Regulations DOC. Dissolved Organic Carbon EPA. United States Environmental Protection Agency

6 September 1, 2011 POWDERED LAUNDRY BLEACH, GS-21 6 GREEN SEAL STANDARD FOR POWDERED LAUNDRY BLEACH, GS SCOPE This criteria document establishes requirements for powdered laundry bleach. See Appendix 1 for an example list of products included in this standard. Words and phrases described in the standard that appear in italics have a corresponding definition located in the definition section of the standard, Annex A. 2.0 PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS 2.1 The product shall brighten household laundry effectively. Performance of the product shall be compared to the standard leading brand product of powdered laundry bleach as measured by comparison tests conducted in accordance with ASTM International D , Standard Guide for Evaluating Stain Removal Performance in Home Laundering. The detergent used with the powdered laundry bleach shall be a leading brand of dye-free, fragrance-free and optical brightenerfree detergent. The following stains on both polyester and cotton shall be used: make-up, grape juice, spaghetti sauce, blood, grass, ball point pen ink, and modified artificial sebum and particulate soil for staining. A product meeting the performance criteria shall have a brightening performance of at least 80% of the brightening performance of the standard leading brand product. 2.2 In lieu of section 2.1, data may be accepted from efficacy testing that is conducted by the manufacturer under objective, reproducible laboratory conditions and that clearly demonstrates that the product brightens household laundry effectively. 2.3 The product shall be formulated to work effectively as a concentrate. 2.4 The product shall be formulated to work effectively in cold (unheated) water. 3.0 PRODUCT-SPECIFIC ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS 3.1 Product Toxicological Requirements The product's ingredients shall have a low concern level for Acute Oral Toxicity, defined as an LD50 for white rats of greater than or equal to

7 September 1, 2011 POWDERED LAUNDRY BLEACH, GS mg/kg by the 1994 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Minimum Premarket Data Set study The product shall not be formulated with ingredients that are listed in the latest edition of the Annual Report on Carcinogens, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Toxicology Program. The product shall not be formulated with ingredients known to cause reproductive toxicity, as listed by the State of California under the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, excluding ethanol [Cal. Code of Regulations, Title 22, Division 2, Subdivision 1, Chapter 3, Sections et seq.]. Notwithstanding this provision, a product may be formulated with substances cited in section of this standard up to the levels specified in that section. 3.2 Product Environmental Requirements The product shall not be toxic to aquatic life, as measured by test methods found in 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 797, Subpart B, and as determined by meeting the following three criteria for acute (Daphnia or fish), acute (algae), and chronic (Daphnia) effects: acute acute EC50 Daphnia (48 hr.) > 10 mg/lor LC50 fish (96 hr.) > 10 mg/l EC50 algae (96 hr.) > 10 mg/l chronic EC50 Daphnia (21-day or 14-day minimum) > 10 mg/l For purposes of demonstrating compliance with this requirement, the testing prescribed by the regulations is not required for the product if sufficient information exists concerning each ingredient, either in peerreviewed literature or databases or based on tests that are conducted according to standard procedures, to demonstrate that the product is not toxic to aquatic life Each organic ingredient in the product shall exhibit ready ultimate biodegradability under aerobic conditions as measured by one of the following EPA methods found at 40 CFR Part (Modified AFNOR Test, ClosedBottle Test, Modified MITI Test, Modified Orgnaization for Economic Cooperation and Development Test or Modified Sturm Test). Ready ultimate biodegradability shall be determined as follows: Removal of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) > 70%

8 September 1, 2011 POWDERED LAUNDRY BLEACH, GS-21 8 Biological oxygen demand > 60% % of BOD of theoretical oxygen demand > 60% % CO 2 evolution of theoretical > 60% For organic ingredients that do not exhibit ready ultimate biodegradability in any of these tests, the manufacturer may demonstrate biodegradability in sewage treatment plants using the Coupled Units Test found at 40 CFR Part by demonstrating percentage DOC removal > 90%. Testing is not required for any ingredient for which sufficient information exists concerning its biodegradability, either in peer-reviewed literature or databases or based on tests conducted according to standard procedures Phosphates and phosphonates, including sodium salts and potassium salts, shall not be present in the product in quantities above 0.5% by weight of total phosphorus The concentrations of the following in the undiluted product shall not exceed the levels specified below: Arsenic mg/kg Chromium mg/kg Lead mg/kg Mercury mg/kg Cadmium mg/kg Selenium mg/kg Nickel mg/kg Testing for these elements shall comply with test methods described in 40 CFR Part Animal Testing. To avoid new animal testing, previous test results will be accepted as evidence of meeting a criterion. When existing data are not available, the preferred methods for new testing include methods that replace, reduce, or refine animal use, particularly those recommended by the Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Validation of Alternative Methods or the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Method, unless indicated otherwise. In addition, other non-animal (in-vitro) test results, modeling data, data from structural analogs, and other lines of evidence may be accepted, provided that the methods are peer-reviewed and applicable. Specific in vitro or modeling methods may be noted in the standard, but additional options may be accepted by the certification program. Further, a mixture need not be tested if existing information demonstrates that each of the applicable components complies with the criterion.

9 September 1, 2011 POWDERED LAUNDRY BLEACH, GS PACKAGING REQUIREMENTS 4.1 As soon as practicable, considering existing inventories and obligations, the manufacturer shall use packaging that is state-of-the-art with respect to content of recovered and post-consumer material, source reduction, and recyclability. Requirements for recycled content may be waived for packages designed to be refilled by the consumer from bulk refilling systems. 4.2 Secondary packaging shall not be employed. Products shall not be packaged in primary packaging containing polyvinyl chloride. 4.3 The sum of the concentration levels of lead, cadmium, mercury, and hexavalent chromium present in any package, ink or packaging component must not exceed 100 parts per million by weight. 5.0 LABELING REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTIFICATION BY GREEN SEAL Unless otherwise approved in writing by Green Seal the following labeling requirements shall apply. The Green Seal Certification Mark must appear on the product's packaging. The Green Seal Certification Mark shall not be used in conjunction with any modifying terms, phrases, or graphic images that might mislead consumers as to the extent or nature of the certification. Whenever the Green Seal Certification Mark appears on a package, the package must contain a description of the basis for certification. The description shall be in a location, style, and typeface that are easily readable by the consumer. Unless otherwise approved in writing by Green Seal, the description shall read as follows: This product meets the Green Seal Standard for Powdered Laundry Bleach, GS-21, for low toxicity, biodegradability, and reduced packaging. The label must include detailed instructions for proper use to maximize product performance and minimize waste. If plastic, the packaging must be clearly marked with the appropriate Society of the Plastics Industry symbol to identify the type of plastic for recycling.

10 September 1, 2011 POWDERED LAUNDRY BLEACH, GS ANNEX A- Normative Definitions of Terms (note that the defined terms are italicized throughout the standard) Concentrate. A powdered product that requires less than 2.0 ounces by weight per load of laundry. Ingredient. Any constituent with which a product is formulated. Primary Packaging. The material physically coming into contact with and containing the product. Post-consumer Material. Finished products, packages, or other recovered materials generated by a business or consumer that have served their intended end uses and that have been recovered or otherwise diverted from the waste stream for the purpose of recycling. Recovered Material. Material that has been recovered or otherwise diverted from the waste generated after a material manufacturing process. Recovered material may include post-consumer material, cuttings, trimmings, obsolete inventories, and rejected unused stock, but does not include material capable of being re-used within the process that generated it. Secondary Packaging. Any packaging material other than primary packaging, including wrappers, boxes, and blister packs, but excluding shipping containers.

11 September 1, 2011 POWDERED LAUNDRY BLEACH, GS APPENDIX 1- Informative Examples of products included and excluded in the scope of GS-21: Products Included in GS-21 Products Excluded from GS-21 Powdered laundry bleach Other laundry care products (detergents, fabric softeners, pretreatment products) General-purpose, restroom, glass and carpet cleaners for household use (included in GS-8) and industrial and institutional use (included in GS-37) Specialty cleaning products for household use (included in GS-52) and industrial and institutional use (GS-53)