Since the introduction of Green Mark Program in 1993, 105 product categories are now available for application. For the past years, due to budgetary constraint, the Green Mark product criteria drafting process was sometimes not adequately rigorous or transparent. The purpose of this project is to remedy this situation and establish a more complete and rigorous standard criteria development process. Under this project, the following tasks have been completed: (1) gathered information on processes and procedures for selecting product categories, developing criteria and specifying testing methods from other relevant foreign and domestic eco-labeling programs. Comparisons and analyses of gathered information were conducted; (2) gathered and analyzed 25 life cycle reports and 30 product environmental performance evaluation reports; (3) conducted 3 products’ environmental benefits analyses based on US EPA’s EPEAT program’s environmental benefit calculation tool; (4) drafted the “Operating Procedure for Selection and Offering of Green Mark Product Criteria” and the “Operating Procedure for Private Entities’ Proposal of Draft Product Criteria”; (5) proposed screening conditions for future candidate product categories; (6) selected 10 product categories whose draft criteria should be completed this year, and the list of 20 future product categories; (7) drafted product criteria for 11 product categories; (8) reviewed standard language and contents of heavy metals in existing criteria, and analyzed 34 categories without qualified products, and proposed recommendations to deal with the situation; and (9) conducted miscellaneous administrative affairs. This project has resulted in the following achievements: (1) obtained first-hand operating information from most eco-labeling programs around the world, (2) established rigorous procedure for product criteria drafting, including detailed requirements on product category selection and criteria drafting; (3) selected 30 priority product categories which should be worked on in the next 3-5 years, (4) drafted criteria for 11 product categories, (5) gathered relevant life cycle consideration and environmental performance evaluation information from relevant international and local research bodies, and (6) demonstrated the achievements in international cooperation through various communication meetings, seminars and workshops.

Green Mark Ecolabelling Program,Product Criteria ,LCA