International recognition of Australian-made products carrying Good Environmental Choice Australia certification will be a more streamlined process with GECA this week awarded accreditation under the Global Ecolabelling Network’s Internationally Coordinated Ecolabelling System.
GECA’s newly achieved GENICES accreditation means that architects and others working on offshore projects can specify GECA-accredited products and potentially accrue points under the nation’s green building rating scheme if the country has an eco-labelling scheme that is a member of GEN. These include the European Union, the US, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, China, Singapore, South Korea, Israel, Ukraine, Brazil and New Zealand.
“GENICES recognition means GECA can provide a whole new suite of benefits for Australian manufacturers seeking third-party certification for their products in international markets,” GECA national business development manager Bobby Ali-Khan said.
GENICES status also helps Australian suppliers carrying imported products that are already certified under another GEN member ecolabel, by making the gaining of GECA certification more streamlined and cost-effective, often with fewer site audits or the need to resubmit documentation.
Australian manufacturers looking to have their products specified internationally for green building projects in GEN member countries will also find the process easier, as their GECA certified products will be recognised by their overseas equivalent.
New standard for ecolabelling for refrigerants
The organisation is also currently preparing a new standard for ecolabelling for refrigerants, with a draft recently released for industry comment.
The new refrigerants standard has tightened up the criteria for Global Warming Potential and also stipulates products must have an ozone-depletion potential equal to zero. The standard also sets out requirements for packaging, which must be easily recyclable or subject to a product stewardship take-back arrangement with the manufacturer or agent.
- Comments on the new standard close 26 December. Download it here.