Certifications on Welpr
Here at Welpr, we want to make it simple for you to find clean, non-toxic products.
To make sure we’re providing the best recommendations, we pull together certifications from a wide range of reputable organizations that certify consumer products.
On this page, we’re going to break down each certification into easy-to-understand terms and share why we believe it to be reputable. We’ll give you a quick rundown on each organization’s certification process, and then link out to more in-depth info for those of you that want to learn more.
We aim to keep things simple and easy to understand, so you don’t need a PhD in Toxicology to protect you and your family from all the harmful chemicals common in the modern world.
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Product Safety Certifications
Environmental Working Group (EWG)
EWG is a reputable non-profit organization focused on protecting human health and the environment. Their team delves into extensive scientific research and data analysis to assess the safety of consumer products, chemicals, and pollutants.
EWG has earned trust for its certification program due to its commitment to transparency, reliance on peer-reviewed studies, and a consistent record of sharing information grounded in solid evidence.
This dedication empowers both individuals and policymakers to make knowledgeable and responsible choices concerning environmental and public health.
When you see “EWG Verified,” it indicates that the product meets stringent transparency standards, surpassing EWG's green rating. It is based on a comprehensive analysis of ingredient toxicity and hazard information relevant to human health and the environment. The product avoids EWG's "Unacceptable" list, provides full ingredient transparency, and reflects a commitment to excellence in ingredient disclosure.
Products rated "EWG - A" contain minimal health hazards and provide excellent ingredient disclosure, delivering effective cleaning without compromising safety.
Products rated "EWG - B" are generally safe and offer reliable cleaning with good ingredient transparency, even if they have a few moderate-concern components.
Products rated "EWG - C" rating indicates a mid-level safety profile for a cleaning product. They may contain slightly concerning ingredients and have a mild environmental impact, offering partial ingredient information.
Products rated "EWG - D" rated products may contain multiple moderately hazardous ingredients, and ingredient disclosure is often limited.
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Products rated "EWG - 1" indicate a top choice for personal care products. With a low potential hazard rating and good or robust ingredient transparency, these follow only EWG Verified in the rating scale.
Products rated "EWG - 2" feature a low potential hazard rating and good or robust ingredient transparency. They remain a dependable choice for health-conscious consumers, just behind EWG-1 rated products in terms of safety.
Products rated "EWG - 3”, “EWG - 4”, “EWG - 5”, or “EWG - 6 ” feature a moderate potential hazard rating and fair ingredient transparency.
Products rated "EWG - 7”, “EWG - 8”, or “EWG 9” feature a high potential hazard rating and the lowest transparency of ingredient data.
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At Welpr, we’re committed to finding the best, cleanest options available. But some products, such as drain cleaners, rinse aids, and hair dyes, present challenges in finding less toxic alternatives. That’s why we’ve included some options with these ratings. While cleaner, please be aware of potential health and environmental risks.
MADE SAFE is the sole certification program dedicated to human health and ecosystem protection. The organization stands out for its uncompromised ingredient safety standards.
MADE SAFE's stringent certification process ensures products with its seal are devoid of over 6,500 harmful substances. This thorough process, known as the Ecosystem Approach, demands full transparency from manufacturers, assessing the impact of each ingredient on human and environmental health.
The MADE SAFE seal represents a dependable mark of eco-friendly and safe consumer options, bolstering confidence in making a healthier and sustainable purchase. This staunch commitment to safety and transparency positions MADE SAFE as a trusted leader in promoting a safer and more sustainable future.
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EPA Registered is a trusted mark given to pesticides, including surface disinfectants, affirming they've met the required scientific and regulatory standards. Before a pesticide hits the market, the EPA meticulously evaluates it to ensure it's safe for human health and the environment.
The certification process entails a comprehensive review of the data supporting the product's efficacy claims against bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Only upon thorough assessment and approval can products claim to kill specific pathogens and bear the EPA Registered label.
This exhaustive process underscores the reliability of EPA Registered products, confirming they've met federal safety and effectiveness standards, making them a dependable choice for consumers seeking antimicrobial products.
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Green Seal is a respected global nonprofit, a pioneer ecolabel trusted for over three decades. It stands as a beacon of sustainability and health, setting uncompromising standards for products, services, and spaces, not entire companies.
Earning the Green Seal certification entails undergoing an exhaustive process where every aspect of a product is thoroughly vetted against stringent performance, health, and environmental benchmarks. The organization’s dedicated team of scientists and experts ensure that each certified item complies with their robust environmental leadership standards.
This transparent and rigorous process underscores Green Seal's credibility, making it a trusted ecolabel worldwide. It assures purchasers and consumers that they are making environmentally responsible choices, promoting a greener, healthier world.
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The Clean Label Project is a national non-profit committed to enhancing transparency in food and consumer product labeling. It extends beyond traditional safety checks, addressing growing concerns regarding exposure to heavy metals, pesticide residues, and plasticizers, substances you won't find listed on product labels.
The Clean Label Project employs extensive lab testing on hundreds of products, examining them for these undisclosed contaminants. Products that emphasize purity and exceed the FDA’s minimum requirements are awarded by the Clean Label Project.
This diligent approach to testing and commitment to truth and transparency make the Clean Label Project a trusted entity in ensuring product safety and integrity.
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The EPA Safer Choice program is a label for safer chemical-based products.
The Safer Choice label is awarded to products only after they undergo thorough evaluations, guaranteeing adherence to stringent safety and environmental criteria. This encourages manufacturers to improve formulations and promote safer, eco-friendly choices.
Consumers can trust the label because it signifies EPA's thorough evaluation of each ingredient, providing confidence in product safety and environmental responsibility.
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The USDA Certified Biobased Product Label is a distinguished certification program that acknowledges products created from renewable biological resources, including plants, agriculture, marine, and forestry materials.
Certification entails product registration, label application, third-party review, sample testing, and final approval.
The USDA Certified Biobased Product Label's reliance on third-party verification and ongoing USDA monitoring ensures the accuracy of biobased content claims, establishing it as a trustworthy symbol of authenticity and environmental responsibility in the market.
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COSMOS (COSMetic Organic and Natural Standard) is a reliable certifier for organic and natural cosmetics, known for setting tough standards in the beauty industry.
To earn COSMOS certification, products go through a rigorous evaluation covering performance, health, and environmental criteria. Experts on the COSMOS team ensure that each certified item meets their high standards.
COSMOS conducts regular audits, including unannounced visits, ensuring trust in their certification process.
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GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) Certification ensures textiles uphold organic standards throughout production.
From harvest to garment, every stage undergoes annual scrutiny for certification and is verified by on-site inspections. GOTS-labeled products signify organic origin and eco-friendly processing.
Third-party verification and strict standards ensure credibility and responsible practices, making GOTS a trustworthy certification.
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OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 is a globally recognized textile label that assures every component, from threads to buttons, has undergone rigorous testing for harmful substances, ensuring human health safety.
Independent OEKO-TEX® partner institutes perform these tests, exceeding national and international standards, with regular updates to their criteria catalog.
Trust in the OEKO-TEX® certification stems from its for impartial and reliable testing, sparing manufacturers and customers the daily hassle of tracking harmful substances in textiles.
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Animal Welfare Certifications
Leaping Bunny stands as a prominent organization committed to promoting cruelty-free cosmetics and personal care items.
The organization undertakes a thorough vetting process, ensuring that neither products nor their ingredients undergo animal testing. This comprehensive check involves routine audits, verifying companies’ adherence to their Supplier Monitoring System, ensuring suppliers and manufacturers also commit to the no animal testing policy.
These stringent standards and consistent oversight underscore Leaping Bunny’s reputation as a trusted mark. Consumers can rely on their certification as a dependable indicator of genuine cruelty-free products, reflecting a dedicated commitment to halt animal cruelty in the beauty and personal care industry.
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Since 1987, PETA's Beauty Without Bunnies certification has served as a steadfast beacon for cruelty-free shopping, guiding consumers toward compassionate choices in cosmetics, personal-care, and household products.
Securing a place on PETA's esteemed list requires companies to stringently verify that neither they nor their suppliers perform animal testing worldwide for ingredients or finished products, offering two specific certifications: 'Global Animal Test-Free' and a vegan option, which additionally guarantees products are free from animal-derived ingredients.
PETA doesn’t merely list companies; it furnishes a trusted mark, signifying a genuine commitment to ethical, cruelty-free practices, and steering a global clientele toward kinder, mindful consumption.
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The Cruelty-Free label signals that a brand claims their products are free from animal testing, while certifications like PETA’s Beauty Without Bunnies or Leaping Bunny provide an additional layer of trust by enforcing rigorous external validations of these claims. To be 100% sure of a brand's cruelty-free status, it's advisable to choose products from companies certified by the Leaping Bunny Program or PETA. These certifications guarantee a no-animal-testing policy in all stages of product development, including labs and ingredient suppliers.
The Vegan label indicates that a brand is making a claim that their product contains no animal-derived ingredients or by-products. This trust is further reinforced by certifications like those from PETA or Vegan.org, which rigorously validate these claims through external oversight.
To ensure a brand's vegan status with complete confidence, it's advisable to select products from companies certified by Vegan.org or PETA, as these certifications provide robust assurance of adherence to vegan criteria.
The Certified Vegan label guarantees that a brand's products contain no animal-derived ingredients. This reliable certification is granted by third-party organizations such as PETA or vegan.org, which conduct thorough reviews and validations of these claims.
To attain this certification, a brand must complete an application, and their manufacturers or suppliers must submit a Statement of Assurance. This external oversight ensures transparency and fosters consumer confidence in the products' adherence to strict vegan standards.
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Ethical Practices Certifications
The B Corp organization identifies and supports companies prioritizing both profit and societal betterment. They apply strict standards, assessing firms' social and environmental contributions, transparency, and accountability.
Companies face comprehensive evaluations to secure the B Corp status, a symbol reflecting their steadfast commitment to impactful, positive change and ethical business practices.
This rigorous process establishes the B Corp organization as a trusted authority, ensuring certified businesses genuinely contribute to global improvement, making a meaningful difference for stakeholders and the planet.
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Fair for Life is steadfast in ensuring fair sourcing practices and robust responsibilities down the commodity chain.
The organization’s certification process rigorously checks for the traceability of all certified products from production to sales, ensuring human rights are honored, and fair working conditions are non-negotiable.
Fair for Life’s certification system, globally recognized and respected, enables operations worldwide to affirm and certify their dedication to fair trade and social accountability, reinforcing its stature as a trusted mark through an unwavering commitment to fairness and transparency.
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1% for the Planet is an organization where members pledge to donate a minimum of 1% of their annual sales to environmental groups.
Their certification process verifies every donation, ensuring businesses fulfill their commitment to supporting environmental causes.
Trust in 1% for the Planet stems from its rigorous certification process, which guarantees transparency and genuine environmental impact.
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Environmental Impact Certifications
Made in USA is a label showcasing goods primarily created in the United States, reflecting the product's substantial domestic origin, as defined and overseen by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
The certification process is clear: products, from automobiles to textiles, bearing this mark must have substantial U.S. content and undergo significant manufacturing processes stateside. This label is voluntary, but its use is governed by specific FTC standards, ensuring consumers can trust the label's authenticity.
For a product to sport the Made in USA label, marketers should hold solid evidence that U.S. manufacturing costs make up a significant percentage and the last substantial transformation occurred in the United States, ensuring the integrity and reliability of the mark.
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CarbonNeutral champions businesses in achieving authentic carbon neutrality. This is realized by diligently calculating and reducing a company’s carbon footprint to zero through internal efficiency, renewable energy, and external emission reduction projects.
Adhering to the CarbonNeutral Protocol, businesses are endowed with a clear, practical, and high-quality framework to affirm their commitment to carbon neutrality. The public availability of this protocol, launched in 2002 and annually reviewed, underscores its credibility and transparency, allowing companies to confidently showcase their carbon-neutral endeavors.
This consistent adherence to industry, policy, and scientific best practices, scrutinized by an advisory council of varied experts, marks the organization as a trusted name in carbon neutrality.
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The USDA Organic certification, governed by the National Organic Program (NOP), assures consumers that agricultural products adhere to meticulously established, nationwide organic standards in the United States.
The certification process requires farms and businesses to adopt organic practices and choose a USDA-accredited certifying agent, followed by a meticulous on-site inspection to verify compliance with all regulations.
The USDA and certifying agents collaborate to maintain rigorous standards, not only ensuring producer fairness but also establishing the USDA Organic Seal as a respected symbol of verified, sustainable organic practices, transcending its function as merely a label.
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Cradle to Cradle Certified® has established a global benchmark for guiding diverse industry products towards a future of health, sustainability, and equity by directing companies to enhance and innovate materials and products using cutting-edge, science-based measures for over a decade.
Achieving certification entails working alongside a specialized independent body, ensuring products or materials meet the rigorous standards set by the organization.
Esteemed for its thorough approach to aligning products with forward-thinking sustainability and ethical standards, it stands not only as a certification but also as a trusted symbol of assurance in ethical, sustainable choices for consumers and businesses alike.
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Climate Neutral operates as a non-profit leader, uniting brands and consumers under a transparent and trusted label, which validates adherence to its stringent Climate Neutral Certified Standards to ambitiously curtail carbon emissions.
The certification process, transparent and rooted in industry best practices, involves meticulous evaluation of a brand's total emissions—from manufacturing to delivery.
Governed and continuously refined by a diligent board, advisory team, and certification committees, Climate Neutral ensures its standards perpetually align with contemporary approaches to corporate responsibility and the evolving voluntary carbon market, thereby safeguarding its reputation as a reliable mark in pursuing a net-zero future.
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ECOLOGO® from UL Environment, a globally recognized safety science and sustainability leader, signifies strict adherence to detailed, lifecycle-based environmental criteria, covering aspects like energy, materials, health, and manufacturing.
To obtain this certification, products must meet or surpass all established standards, providing an in-depth perspective on their sustainable attributes for both manufacturers and consumers.
ECOLOGO® delivers a reliable symbol of sustainability, backed by its rigorous environmental criteria throughout a product's lifecycle, endorsement as an ISO Type 1 ecolabel, and validation from the Global Ecolabeling Network, ensuring businesses and consumers can confidently choose sustainable products.
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EcoCert® certification signifies products are crafted with utmost environmental respect throughout their formulation and manufacturing.
As a top ecological certification in Europe and recognized internationally, it mandates strict adherence to eco-friendly production processes, active promotion of natural or organic ingredients, judicious management of natural resources, and a staunch prohibition of numerous petrochemical ingredients.
By enforcing stringent standards and through impartial validation of eco-friendly practices, EcoCert® has fortified its status as a trusted seal, assuring consumers and businesses of genuine, environmentally responsible product choices.
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Plastic Neutral Certified means a brand is offsetting plastic creation by recovering an equivalent from the environment via recycling or offset credits. It showcases a brand's commitment to combat plastic pollution.
The certification process comprises three steps: measuring plastic footprint, implementing plastic reduction strategies, and supporting plastic waste collection and recovery efforts.
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A "plastic negative" brand invests in programs to recover and recycle double their annual plastic footprint, ensuring they remove twice as much plastic from the environment as they produce. It's a strong commitment to fighting plastic pollution responsibly.
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