ANN ARBOR, Mich. — NSF International and the American Water Works Association (AWWA) have published the first American National Standard, NSF/AWWA/ANSI 416: Sustainability Assessment Standard for Water Treatment Chemical Products, for assessing water treatment chemical products’ sustainability, according to a press release.
Water treatment chemical manufacturers and distributors, including relabelers and repackagers, now have a framework for measuring and reducing environmental impacts of their products, providing more sustainable purchase options to industrial and consumer users of treatment chemicals, as well as to municipal water treatment facilities, stated the release.
Organizations must implement environmental and social management policies as well as measure and document their water and energy use to obtain certification to this standard, reported the release.
Additionally, organizations must meet all prerequisite requirements pertaining to product design, corporate social responsibility, efficacy and manufacturing processes, as well as any optional criteria in these categories, continued the release.
The organizations that meet the certification requirements can minimize environmental and human impacts of their products as well as have the potential to decrease costs through more efficient use of water, energy and materials, noted the release.
“NSF International’s 70-year history of protecting and improving water quality and the environment is reflected in this new standard, NSF/AWWA/ANSI 416, which helps manufacturers of water treatment chemical products measure, manage and reduce environmental impact[s] and reduce cost[s],” said NSF International General Manager of Environmental and Sustainability Services Tom Bruursema. “Manufacturers can reduce their material, energy and water consumption which contributes to improving sustainability.”
Read the entire release here.