How to Build an Eco-Friendly Safety Program

Turn your sustainability initiatives into action by building a more environmentally conscious safety program.

If your business is working toward meeting sustainability goals and reducing its carbon footprint, don’t overlook your safety program. Many of the common PPE and safety products that you’re currently using, including gloves, lockout/tagout kits, and cleaning supplies, have an earth-friendly alternative or can be recycled. By seeking out these products, your company can achieve several goals:

• Reduce landfill waste and environmental impact
• Reduce off-gassing and toxic emissions in your workplace
• Lower energy usage and costs
• Meet shareholder and customer expectations

Getting Started: Take Stock of your PPE and Safety Gear

Conducting an in-depth inventory of your safety products will help you determine what improvements can be made. Are your products environmentally friendly? Do alternatives exist that are gentler on the environment, healthier for workers, or made with recycled or sustainable materials?

You can then create plan to replace your safety and PPE products with more eco-friendly options once they’ve outlived their useful life. When selecting environmentally friendly safety products, look for these specifications:

• Recyclable
• Made with recycled or sustainable materials
• Manufactured with a low-impact, low-emission process
• Energy-conserving
• Diverting landfill waste
• Low emissions certified
• PVC-free

Trustworthy Eco-Certification

As consumers become increasingly eco-conscious, some manufacturers are greenwashing products to increase sales. “Greenwashing” is when a manufacturer or reseller uses deceptive marketing tactics to persuade the consumer that their products are earth-friendly or sustainable. To avoid the greenwashing trap, look for safety products that have been tested and validated by a trusted source and have an eco-certification seal on their label. There are dozens of eco-certification labels in the marketplace. Here are a few trustworthy ones:

1. UL Validated Certification: These products contain recycled content, are easily recyclable, and divert landfill waste, among other benefits.
2. UL GREENGUARD® Certification for Low Chemical Emissions: This certification is given to products that shed low chemical emissions.
3. UL ECOLOGO® Certifications: These voluntary, multi-attribute certifications indicate a product has undergone rigorous testing to prove compliance with stringent environmental standards.
4. EPA Safer Choice Certification: Designated for cleaning products and specialized industrial lubricants and substances that contain safer, more eco-friendly ingredients
5. NSF Sustainability Certification: This certification is reserved for products that meet NSF/ANSI or other national or international sustainable product standards
6. SCS Recycled Content Certification: These products made in whole or in part from recycled waste material