Conscientious parents spend hours securing their children’s safety, by way of reliable car seats, secure cribs, healthy food and non-toxic toys — but one factor most families don’t take into account is the quality of their indoor air, especially in baby’s nursery. Indoor air is “typically 2-5 times more polluted than outdoor air,” and “children spend on average 85% of their time indoors.”
Many products that touch a child’s fragile life may off-gas harmful chemicals and pose a risk to their health: mattresses, paint, furniture, cleaning products etc. The GREENGUARD standard takes into account thousands of chemicals to be tested for, including all volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and formaldehyde and phthalates.
The GREENGUARD Environmental Institute now certifies a wide range of products with their seal, so parents may “rest easy knowing the products have met stringent chemical emissions standards backed by the most stringent third-party certification program in the industry.” Thus far, more than 200,000 products contain GREENGUARD certification marks from companies ranging from Knoll Textiles and Anderson Hardwood Flooring to Herman Miller and Stanley-Furniture Young America. – Beth Shea, staff writer
