TAGS: Toiletries
Green Seal, the nation’s leading non-profit authority on safer and more sustainable cleaning and facility care products, awards Essity’s Tork alcohol gel hand sanitizer and Physicians Group alcohol gel hand sanitizer as the first hand sanitizers in the marketplace to earn coveted Green Seal certification.
Green Seal screened 100% of the Tork Alcohol Gel Hand Sanitizer and Physician’s Group Alcohol Gel Hand Sanitizer formulas for carcinogens, reproductive toxins, skin irritants, phthalates, parabens and contaminants before awarding the certifications. The products also were required to meet uncompromising performance standards, use ingredients that do not pollute waterways, and use environmentally preferable packaging materials.
Green Seal’s new hand sanitizer certification standard was created with input from public health and industry experts amid concern about toxic ingredients in hand sanitizers.
Verification by Trusted Authority
With the COVID-19 pandemic spurring many first-time producers to enter the market, the FDA has warned consumers to avoid more than 200 hand sanitizer products due to incorrect formulations and high levels of hazardous ingredients including methanol (wood alcohol) and the contaminant 1-propanol. Meanwhile, even when properly formulated, hand sanitizers available in the U.S. can include hazardous ingredients linked to cancer, allergies, skin and eye irritation and other harmful health effects.
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Formulating with safer and more sustainable ingredients is vital for a product people apply to their skin dozens of times a day,” said Doug Gatlin, CEO of Green Seal. “
There is a critical market gap right now where buyers know to beware of toxic or ineffective hand sanitizers but are hard-pressed to quickly and easily identify safer options. Green Seal certification gives consumers, purchasers and facility managers confidence that they are buying a hand sanitizer that has been independently verified to the highest standard for health, safety and effectiveness.”
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Receiving the first Green Seal hand sanitizer certification for our Alcohol Gel Hand Sanitizer is a testament to our industry-leading efforts to deliver safe, effective and sustainable quality solutions to the marketplace,” said Brian Kincaid, Product Management Director at Essity. “
This distinction, which comes at a time when hand hygiene has never been more important, reflects our unwavering commitment to improving well-being through innovative and sustainable products and solutions.”
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At Physicians Group, Inc., we recognize that both safety and sustainability extend beyond our own hand sanitizer manufacturing operation in Florida, we want to do our part to increase peace of mind across all of our B2C and B2B customers,” said Dr. Gary Kompothecras, CEO of Physicians Group, Inc. “
Each of our supply chain partners plays a critical role in helping us produce a hand sanitizer that is an eco-friendly and quality product for you and your loved ones. For all of these reasons, this first of its kind Green Seal certification for hand sanitizer is an exciting step in our sustainability journey."
Resources & Expertise Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
Green Seal’s hand sanitizer certification standard is part of the non-profit’s initiative to harness its expertise to provide products, services and guidance that help protect people from both COVID-19 and negative health impacts from toxic chemicals.
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Green Seal Guidelines for Safer Cleaning and Disinfection for schools and workplaces have been adopted by commercial cleaning companies servicing more than 1 billion square feet of space and are referenced by leading green building organizations such as WELL.
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SEIU 32BJ, the largest union of property service workers in the U.S., has partnered with Green Seal on COVID-19 training for its members.
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More than 30,000 Green Seal certified products are used in offices, schools and homes each day, including cleaning products and hand soaps critical to de-contaminating buildings and protecting people.
Source: Green Seal