Eurofins offers Zero Waste certifications to combat greenwashing and protect consumer comfort
02 Nov 2022 --- The Eurofins Assurance network of companies has launched a Zero Waste to Landfill Certification Service for industries to leverage and assure consumers who demand “fact-based” commitments on the path to environmental sustainability.
The Eurofins certification assesses and verifies the effort taken to minimize waste disposal to landfills by businesses. After completion of the audit process, the companies will be awarded Zero Waste to Landfill Certificates they can advertise to ease customers’ minds.
“Our certification provides fact-based findings and conclusion that are generated from a series of actions under our stringent certification protocol – waste ledgers are checked, waste management systems are verified, waste diversion work, records and calculations are validated and some other criteria are controlled,” Christophe Liebon, director of Eurofins Assurance, tells PackagingInsights.
There are three achievement levels: Zero Waste to Landfill Certificate, Near Zero Waste to Landfill Certificate and Advanced Waste Diversion Certificate. The service is designed for different kinds of industries by environmental audit experts with particular knowledge in solid waste and hazardous waste areas.
Zero waste certified
Eurofins Assurance is a global leader in food, environment, pharmaceutical and cosmetic product testing. To receive Eurofins certifications, companies must demonstrate diversion over 99%, 95% to 99% and 85% to 99% of waste to landfill, respectively.
The network is backed by 940 laboratories in 59 countries and a portfolio of over 200,000 analytical methods.
Eurofins Assurance highlights the importance of combating companies greenwashing with new environmental certification. The criteria in the assessment echo the UN Sustainable Development Goal 12 Ensure Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns, dubbed “responsible consumption and production.”
The UN Goal considers manufacturers’ climate, biodiversity and pollution impacts when creating their products. While industrial waste is an inevitable part of the manufacturing process, there are pathways to reduce its amount and choosing cleaner options.
Reducing packaging waste
Landfilling is one of the most common ways of waste disposal. However, depending on the selection, the chosen disposal method can lead to various environmental issues, including air, water and soil pollution. Therefore, it is crucial for industries to incorporate proper waste management and disposal into their sustainability policies and set up measurable targets.
Liebon states that the certification methods fit the packaging industry where plastic waste in oceans and rivers end up in marine lives and human bodies
“The packaging companies can understand how they are performing against their zero waste targets, identify gaps and work on improvements, and most of all, present their achievement with the certificates backed by data to government bodies and the public,” he continues.
Consumer demand
Eurofins certificates help customers substantiate their waste management claims with data and reports that indicate actionable items, improvement and achievement, thus providing transparency into the company’s operations.
This type of clarity is being demanded by buyers, according to Eurofins. “People are becoming more educated of what actions businesses are running and what the true meaning is, probably thanks to the vast amount of information in the internet and social media.”
“When businesses make their waste reduction or zero waste claims the claims are expected to be based on facts or they could be caught in a greenwashing probe easily. The public now puts high expectations on sustainability while avoiding greenwashing. It is naturally a right timing for us to launch the Zero Waste to Landfill Certification as the market is more educated of the urges and benefits,” concludes Liebon.
By Sabine Waldeck
