Consumer Reports announced the launch of its new Eco-Label smart phone app, which will provide consumers with information on products’ green marketing claims. The magazine said the app, which is a mobile version of Consumer Reports’ greenerchoices.org Web site, is available for purchase for $.99.
The Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council announced that it will release a new set of guidelines to improve product and packaging designs and improve the recyclability of disposable plastic products. The Design Guidelines for Optimal Hospital Plastics Recycling will begin with the council’s members this year and was developed after a pilot study jointly conducted by the Cleveland Clinic and Engineered Plastics and Waste Management.
China is on the verge of approving a new product responsibility scheme, which would add a retail charge for the price of recycling new electronics at the time of purchase, China Daily reported. The consumer charge is part of the new WEEE regulations being written in mainland China and Hong Kong.
HelioVolt Corp., an Austin, Texas, based manufacturer of monolithically integrated copper indium gallium diselenide thin-film rooftop photovoltaic modules, announced that its HVC-170X modules have received ANSI/UL-1703, IEC-61646 and IEC-61730 certifications. Intertek-ETL performed the third-party testing.
Joe Bhatia, president and CEO of ANSI, has held a series of meetings with top Chinese officials to discuss U.S-China cooperation on increasing international standardization and conformity assessment, ANSI announced in a press release. ANSI and Certification and Accreditation Administration of China are seeking to build upon a 2008 memorandum of understanding to cooperate on conformity assessment in the interest of bilateral trade.
General Motors announced that six more of its plants across the world will receive the Wildlife Habitat Council’s Wildlife at WorkSM and Corporate Lands for LearningSM certifications that recognize measures to create and enhance wildlife habitats on property owned by the company. General Motors said it has received certifications at 21 properties for preserving habitat with measures such as native tree plantings, butterfly gardens, rain gardens to control storm water runoff and restored prairie and wetlands.
Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc., announced that it has become a Certified B Corporation, agreeing to legally binding corporate duties to consider social and environmental responsibility. There are more than 450 B Corporations with a combined value of $2 billion.
The Epsten Group headquarters in Atlanta has received LEED Platinum accreditation, World Interior Design Network reported. The 9,000 square foot, 1940s-era building was updated with a photovoltaic array roof, salvaged wood and low-VOC paints.
