About Our Green Filter

Many manufacturers and retailers have responded to the growing awareness of the environmental and health impacts of building materials and home improvement products by introducing an array of products touted as environmentally-friendly.Our proprietary Green Filter is designed to help us identify high-performance products that are truly green, not just greenwashed.

How does the Green Filter work? First we evaluate product performance and quality. Then we assess whether the products are safe for people and the planet. Manufacturers must provide information on product composition. Ingredients are checked against databases of chemicals known to be harmful to human health or toxic in the environment. We also check to see whether products are combustible or otherwise dangerous.

Next, we ask the vendor a detailed set of questions: does the product conserve energy or resources? Is it good for air or water quality? Is it made locally? What else has the company done to be environmental and socially responsible? We also seek guidance from a variety of certification and labeling systems. Our Green Filter is continually being improved and updated.

Making Green CLEAR: Using information collected through the Green Filter process, we identify green features and benefits through our “CLEAR” icon system. We award icons based on whether the products meet or exceed internal standards in the five categories described above: Conservation, Local, Energy, Air Quality, and Responsibility.