No Greenwashing Here - Just Certified Sustainability from Superior Essex

(This blog post from Superior Essex explains the harm of greenwashing and gives you the information you need to spot it. Superior Essex is firmly committed to sustainability - learn more in this post. -Teddi)

Greenwashing is exactly what it sounds like: falsely marketing products or spreading disinformation to present an environmentally responsible public image. It often looks like companies exaggerating their claims about recycling and other green practices, promoting an eco-friendly program or product while an organization’s core business is inherently unsustainable or bragging about an environmental accomplishment that the law already requires.

And because greenwashing capitalizes on the growing demand for eco-friendly products, it’s become a common practice across many industries. In fact, more than 95% of the products evaluated in a UL study employed one or more forms of greenwashing, as the organization stated in a 2016 whitepaper.

In addition to being unethical, greenwashing can land an organization in hot water with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and other government entities. The FTC has strict guidelines, called Green Guides, that address greenwashing. Furthermore, the FTC has the power – and has used it – to prosecute false marketing or misleading advertising that’s actually just blatant greenwashing.

Want to avoid being greenwashed? Vigilance is key. Ask questions. Do research. Look for a legitimate, reliable, third-party endorsements and certifications on a product, facility or company. That last tactic is one that Superior Essex Communications embraced long ago to give its customers peace of mind about its sustainability efforts.

The Key Certifications That Back Up Environmental Claims

Superior Essex is firmly committed to sustainable practices and transparency, and the company strives to lead innovation in designing and manufacturing sustainable product solutions. And since greenwashing is so prevalent, the company has sought and gained several key environmental and health certifications to back up its sustainability claims. Four of those certifications are:

• Zero Waste to Landfill recognizes the achievement of a 100% landfill waste-diversion rate, as verified and awarded by Green Circle Certified, LLC. Superior Essex first achieved Zero Waste to Landfill certification for its copper cable manufacturing facility in Hoisington, Kansas, in 2015, and the company has maintained this rigorous certification every year since – now for five years and counting.
• Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs are sources of transparent, scientifically based information that disclose the potential environmental impact(s) of a product or product family. Superior Essex EPDs are verified by UL Environment, a division of UL.
• Health Product Declarations (HPDs) are self-published reports that describe product contents and each ingredient’s relationship to human and ecological health. Superior Essex HPDs are published according to standards set forth by the HPD Collaborative™.
• Multi-Attribute Certification provides an overview of the sustainability of a product, its packaging and its manufacturing operations. Superior Essex publishes these certifications through Green Circle Certified in accordance with internationally recognized standards and the FTC’s Green Guides.

Overall, Superior Essex designs, manufactures and offers more than 55 cabling product families that are proudly classified as sustainable as a result of earning EPDs, HPDs and Multi-Attribute Labels. And, in addition to offering environmental and health benefits, Superior Essex cable products with these sustainability designations can count toward yet another important certification: LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) green-building certification – as well as WELL and Living Building Challenge – which many building owners today often seek to attain.

As the first and only telecommunications wire and cable manufacturer to be certified as Zero Waste to Landfill -- and as the industry leader in offering EPDs, HPDs and Multi-Attribute Certifications – Superior Essex and its environmental claims are as reliable as the company’s products themselves. There’s no need to fear greenwashing here. And if all else is equal, why would you ever choose anything other than Superior Essex sustainable cable?

Contact your local Accu-Tech representative to learn more, and visit the Superior Essex page.