Furniture "green" label is really difficult to distinguish environmental protection certification agencies

In recent years, “green environmental protection” has become a crucial consideration for citizens in the selection of furniture and decoration materials. Many businesses have also launched “green” cards. However, because the state has no mandatory requirements, there are various green labels on the market, and the certification bodies are mostly non-governmental organizations, so that consumers can't identify them. What is the real green label that can be trusted?

China Environmental News reporter Cai Xinhua trainee reporter Liu Jing

Not long ago, Mr. Wang, who lives near Lu Xun Park in Hongkou District, Shanghai, told reporters that he was very upset: the bed at home was broken, and he planned to change a new one. In a large home store nearby, Mr. Wang looked In the middle of a pine wood bed. The salesperson also emphasized that this solid wood bed has a green certification, which is guaranteed to be non-toxic and harmless, and points out the relevant labels on the bed frame. Seeing the business is so vowed, there is a "green" label in the body, Mr. Wang immediately bought this bed back home. But who knows, after using it for a week, he was dizzy by the strange smell of this solid wood bed. “Can this product be called 'green'?” Mr. Wang said with great anger.

According to the survey of the Indoor Environment Monitoring Committee of the China Interior Decoration Association, furniture pollution has become a new problem of indoor environmental pollution after building pollution and decoration pollution, and has become one of the three major sources of pollution affecting the indoor environment. In recent years, “green environmental protection” has become a crucial consideration for citizens in the selection of furniture and decoration materials. Many businesses have also launched “green” cards. The reporter visited the Shanghai home market and found that all kinds of labels that advertised green certification are nowadays, which makes people look at it. So, are these so-called green certification labels authoritative? Is the furniture with green labels really environmentally friendly?

a variety of "green labels"

There is no mandatory regulation in the country, but a voluntary principle. The environmental certification of the furniture market is chaotic.

In a home store on Tongchuan Road, Putuo District, Shanghai, the salesperson selling the sofa promised to the reporter: “All the materials here are qualified and green.” When asked to see the environmental test certificate, the salesperson took out one. The photocopying certificate was sealed on the surface of the plastic film, and the certification unit on the certificate was ambiguous. Another mattress salesperson told reporters that the environmental certification of the product is attached to the back of the manual and sealed in the packaging of the mattress. If the mattress is not purchased, the certificate cannot be seen.

Even if the furniture is labeled with eco-friendly labels, or the merchant can provide a green certificate, the labels are different in shape and style, and the certification body is dazzling. The reporter found that several brands of furniture are labeled with "excellent environmental products" and "green" labels. Some labels are round, some are shaped like leaves, and others are square. According to the sales staff, these products are qualified by the relevant departments and also show the certification information. However, the reporter found that the certification bodies are different, including China International Green Environmental Management Committee, China Light and Light Product Quality Assurance Center, China Green Environmental Protection Development Center, and so on.

The reporter learned that these various green labels, certification bodies are mostly civil organizations, and some certificates can be bought even if they spend money. “There are hundreds of environmental certification institutions in China, some of which have a registered capital of only 3 million yuan, and the threshold is very low.” A brand owner of a furniture company told reporters that the environmental certification provided by some institutions is definitely “unreliable”. ". He told reporters: "Some are issued by institutions that do not have the qualifications for certification, others are made by enterprises, and some even buy them. At present, there is no mandatory regulation in the environmental protection certification of furniture. Instead, the principle of voluntariness is adopted, so the environmental certification in the furniture market is more chaotic."

China's environmental label is the highest standard in China

The furniture industry is more authoritative and also has China Quality Environmental Product Certification (CQC).

Experts said that the current highest standard of environmental protection in China is the Chinese environmental label (commonly known as the "Ten Ring" logo). This mark is a green certification authorized by the former State Environmental Protection Administration, and it is also the only authoritative environmental protection product mark issued by the government. To obtain this mark, enterprises must pass the highest specification product certification of the State Environmental Protection Administration Environmental Certification Center, which is composed of representatives of 11 ministries and commissions such as the Ministry of Environmental Protection (formerly the State Environmental Protection Administration) and the AQSIQ. The state clearly stipulates that only products that pass the "10-ring certification" can be called "green products." In addition, the domestic furniture industry is more authoritative environmental certification and China Quality Environmental Product Certification (CQC). CQC-certified products have environmental advantages such as low toxicity, low pollution and resource conservation.

The reporter was informed that the domestic environmental protection standards are mainly for the detection of "formaldehyde emission", "heavy metal content", "VOC content", "benzene" and other chemical substances. For example, formaldehyde emission in the MG / L range ≤ 1.5, soluble lead in the MG / KG range ≤ 90, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene in the MG / KG range ≤ 300. In contrast, the international environmental standards for the home furnishing industry are much stricter and more comprehensive, while some international import brands have various European environmental certifications. European environmental certification is the most stringent and the requirements for products are higher. But industry insiders also admit that national standards have to take care of the technical level of most companies, often just the bottom line of product quality, which is difficult to change the status quo.

Environmental protection of plates cannot guarantee "green products"

The formaldehyde content exceeds the standard, mainly due to the processing

According to the relevant person in charge of the Shanghai Furniture Industry Association, at present, China's mandatory standards stipulate that the amount of formaldehyde released from furniture products should be ≤1.5mg/L, but many enterprises are all referring to the “green products”. However, even if green building materials are used, there is no guarantee that formaldehyde will not exceed the standard. Although the company has the material certification standards, if the inspection is not strict in the production process, it cannot guarantee the true environmental protection.

“The formaldehyde content of furniture exceeds the standard, the main reason is in the processing process. Once the formaldehyde content of the plate, glue and paint cannot be guaranteed, the formaldehyde content of the furniture will unconsciously exceed the standard. In addition, the environmentally friendly material has low formaldehyde content but high cost, and inferior quality. Compared with the plates, the price difference is between 60 and 100 yuan. In order to reduce the cost, the company buys inferior plates.” The relevant person in charge of the Shanghai Furniture Association reminded consumers to look at the test report of finished furniture when purchasing furniture. It is reported that the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine has conducted tests on 85 wooden furniture manufacturing enterprises nationwide, and found that enterprises with excessive formaldehyde accounted for 76.9%, the highest exceeding the standard of 116 times.

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