Go figure I'd finish a feature article (Chemistry for Designers: Understanding Hazards in Building Products) saying there's no certification in the USA for products that are hazard-free and immediately a label gets launched. That's ok, I have no complaints with things moving fast in this field.
I haven't dug into the details enough to vouch for this system yet – but the Hazardous Substance Free product label (HSF Mark), launched March 1, looks pretty good at first glance, though only for powered products (appliances, heating & cooling equipment, lighting, and home and office electronics).
Products with the HSF Mark meet hazard restrictions set by ROHS, WEEE, or REACH (three European regulations addressing respectively, hazards in electronics, electronic waste, and a more general overarching program on chemical hazards in products). This means these products may still include listed hazards at the reduced levels acceptable in the regulation, or hazards we don't know about. But this is about as good as it gets right now, until people start proactively looking at hazardous properties instead of specific listed chemicals (the GreenScreen and BASTA systems mentioned in the feature article do this, but it's rare).
To use the HSF Mark, Manufacturers (and their supply chain) have to engage in a "hazardous substance process management (HSPM) system, which includes a 3rd party assessment and annual surveillance – so rather than just testing the specific product, they're looking at the whole process, which I think is better in the long run. The plan is to have an online database of these products – supposedly there are over 2000 certified HSPM companies now with products that qualify now - but we'll have to wait and see if this turns out to be truly useful to purchasers in the US.
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