NSF International (NSF) and the American Chemical Society Green Chemistry Institute® (ACS GCI) have developed an American national standard that provides a standardized way to define and report the environmental and human health hazards associated with a chemical product and its manufacturing-process impacts.

ANN ARBOR, MI/WASHINGTON, DC – NSF International (NSF) and the American Chemical Society Green Chemistry Institute® (ACS GCI) have developed an American national standard that provides a standardized way to define and report the environmental and human health hazards associated with a chemical product and its manufacturing-process impacts.

The new standard, officially known as NSF/GCI/ANSI (American National Standards Institute) 355 Greener Chemicals and Processes Information Standard, establishes standardized criteria for comparing chemicals and processes that help chemical manufacturers and their customers make greener choices.

The standard outlines a framework that chemical manufacturers will use to develop one comprehensive, standardized NSF/GCI/ANSI 355 report to provide information to their customers. The report will be used to evaluate chemical products and their associated manufacturing processes in several key categories that include: chemical characteristics – physical chemical properties, human health effects and ecological effects; chemical processes (gate to gate) – chemical efficiency and waste prevention, water, energy, bio-based carbon content, innovative manufacturing processes and technology, and process safety; and social responsibility – child labor, forced and compulsory labor, and compliance with laws and regulations.

As a third-party certifier, NSF International will certify reports to this standard, which means users of a chemical who receive a certified NSF/GCI/ANSI 355 report from their suppliers can be assured the report data is accurate, complete and current.

More information about the standard and a sample report that identifies reporting criteria are available at www.nsf.org/info/nsfgci355.