Life cycle ecolabelling program “Vitality leaf” for product, work and services

Voluntary ecolabelling system “Vitality leaf” was developed by non-commercial partnership “Saint-Petersburg Ecological union” (SPbEU) in year 2001. The system is based on basic requirements of international standard ISO 14024, that was accepted and put into operation by Russian Government Standard, and on ISO 14024 main principles of voluntary, openness, procedure transparency, along with evaluation of all life cycle of certain homogeneous product group (work, services). On this criteria “Vitality leaf” ecolabel is unique in Russia.

The system is registered in Federal Agency on Technical Regulation and Metrology (certificate РОСС RU. И457.04ЧГ00)

The ecolabelling program “Vitality leaf” is open and clear for all it’s potential participants. Experts that are working in frames of system are independent and represent different social institutes, including government, publicity, and science. The System owns the whole package of documents that are necessary to arrange the certification process as well as forms of certificates and sign of ecolabel. The principles of system:

• Information about the process of certification is open and easy accessible for interested persons.
• The Certification is voluntary.
• Keeping commercial confidentiality of applicants, if necessary.

Criteria for ecolabelling include the following specific demands:

• The level of environmental pollution.
• The level of safety for human’s health.
• The level of recyclable components.
• Rational use of nature resources during the product’ lifecycle.
• Use of renewable resources during the product’ lifecycle.
• Use of renewable sources of energy.
• The level of waste
• Environmental criteria of transporting.
• Environmental criteria of waste utilization.
• Using of the best available technologies.

Main objective of “Vitality leaf” ecolabelling scheme:
1. Encourage the demand for and supply of those products and services that cause less stress on the environment by providing full information about environmental features of products.
2. Contributing to reduce environmental impacts of companies by identifying that production which comply criteria of environmental leadership.
3. To improve the quality of the environment and to encourage the sustainable management of resources.
4. Contribute to a fair comparison of products by the products’ environmental life cycle performance that reflects the continuous environmental improvement of products over time.

“Vitality leaf” can be awarded to products, that meets following requirements:

• absence of harmfull substances in finished product, that have an adverse effect on human body, and strict limitation of harm full for environment substances
• safety of extraction and use of primary resources for human and environment
• minimum of negative effect on environment during all production cycle of product
• minimum of negative effect on environment during transportation
• harmless remaking and storage of wastes or packing.

Criteria for the lifecycle excluding the finished product are developed by environmental experts in the field of water, air, soil and waste pollution (they develop criteria for the process of producing the certain product, including all the stages). Criteria for the finished product are developed by our partners, scientific institutes and hygienic experts. Criteria are to be approved by controlling bodies, governmental bodies (e.g. the Committees of St. Petersburg City Administration), public organizations (e.g. Chamber of commerce & industry), independent expert institutes.

“Vitality leaf” is the only Russian ecolabel accepted by international community.

On 9th of November 2007 Saint-Petersburg Ecological union became a member of GEN – «The Global Ecolabelling Network». Developed by SPEU specialists “Vitality leaf” ecolabel was recognized of international community as correspondent to world practice of voluntary ecological certification. For product, work, services producers, certified according to that system, it’s international recognition means also empowerment within international cooperation and export trading. Ecological union became first and only body on product, work, services certification in Russia, able to issue ecological international level certificate.

Saint-Petersburg Ecological union timely provides people informing about assumption to product ecolabell “Vitality leaf” (publications in mass media, conferences, different activity and so on).

Administrative structure of St. Petersburg system of voluntary certification of goods and services
Scheme of examination procedure for awarding ecolabel “Vitality leaf”