Greenguard Turns Children & Schools into Gold

UL Environment retires the “Children & Schools” label and ups the ante on formaldehyde emissions.

UL Environment, which purchased Greenguard in 2011, changed the program’s name to Greenguard Gold while streamlining a number of its certification marks, according to a spokesperson. The new name makes it clear that the certification is appropriate for all building types, she noted, and also highlights the fact that Greenguard Gold is the more stringent level of Greenguard certification. The most substantive technical change was a reduction in allowable formaldehyde emissions—from16.5 to 9.0 µg/m³—beginning January 1, 2013.

The new Greenguard Gold label clearly identifies UL as the owner of the certification; it also includes an explanation of the certification, a URL to learn more, and the reference number of the Greenguard emissions testing standard (UL 2818).