GREENGUARD

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So many of us worry about our children’s health. Certain times of the year we worry about them being outdoors due to allergies, bug bites, UV exposure, and air pollution. But, did you know that the indoor air is two to five times more polluted than the outdoor air? There’s also health risks associated with indoor air pollution. The source for these pollutants come from a variety of products in our homes and schools due to furnishings, flooring, electronics, window treatments, mattresses, cleaners and even paints.

The GREENGUARD Children & Schools Certification Program tries to offer a solution to parents who are concerned about the indoor air quality of their homes, schools and other places their children spend their time. The GREENGUARD Children & Schools standard is overseen by the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI), which is an industry independent and non-profit organization. Their mission is to not only improve indoor air, but to improve the quality of human life by testing and certifying indoor products based on strict chemical emissions criteria.

You can find the GREENGUARD Children & Schools certification mark on more than 170,000 different products that are produced by over 500 different manufacturers.

You may not know, but some of the very materials and products that we use to furnish and maintain our indoor environments can release hundreds of pollutants such as formaldehyde, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), ozone and even biological allergens.
Because of all the time spend indoors especially during the winter months that are on the way, so many children are at risk of breathing in these pollutants, and especially at risk are those with asthma, allergies and respiratory diseases. GREENGUARD Children & Schools wants to help, so with the help of GEI who is considered the world’s foremost resources on indoor quality and other companies who meet the standards of using the GREENGUARD mark (such as DuPont, Georgia-Pacific, BASF, Owens Corning, Benjamin Moore and others) products and undergo quarterly testing to ensure that the products are safe and continue to meet the emissions criteria that GREENGUARD stands by.
With all the concern today on environmentally friendly products, and keeping our kids safe and healthy, it is hard to distinguish which products are truly environmentally friendly and which ones are not. When you see the GREENGUARD mark, it ensures that that product has passes rigorous testing to prove that it will emit the fewest possible pollutants into the air.

GREENGUARD Children & Schools standards takes into account the special sensitivities that our children have and incorporates those into their most stringent product emissions criteria. They make sure that every day products meet strict emission levels of pollutants including VOCs, phthalates and respirable particles.

For more information on the GREENGUARD Children & Schools certification program and GEI you can visit www.greenguard.org