Initiatives / About the Charter
Sustainability standards
Charter sustainability standards
The Charter has been regarded as a living scheme since it’s very inception. Over time it has evolved through regular upgrades, aligning with EU legislation as well as global sustainability goals. This ensures that it continues to offer the most advanced sustainability assurance scheme for promoting best practice within the industry, using lifecycle analysis and scientific evidence as a basis.
The Charter consists of procedures for both company manufacturing process which companies implement in their management systems, as well as advanced sustainability profiles for a series of nine product categories. Charter participation continues to be based on the implementation of sustainability standards, followed by independent verification and annual KPI reporting.
Company sustainability standards
At the heart of the Charter are the Charter Sustainability Procedures (CSPs), which establish a common set of sustainability management requirements for participating companies. These procedures help companies integrate sustainability into their business operations, ensure continuous improvement and provide a consistent framework that can be independently verified.
The CSPs cover the key sustainability dimensions of the Charter framework and form the entry-level requirements for Ordinary Charter Members. Compliance is assessed through independent third-party verification, helping ensure a robust and credible approach across the sector.
Charter sustainability procedures:
Raw material selection and safety evaluation
Resource use (energy, water, raw materials, packaging materials)
Social responsibility policy and occupational health & safety
Manufacturing environmental management system
Product recall system
Finished product safety evaluation
Product sustainability standards
In addition to company-wide requirements, the Charter includes Advanced Sustainability Profiles (ASPs) for specific product categories. ASPs establish advanced sustainability criteria for products and provide a consistent methodology for assessing sustainability performance across the sector.
The Charter currently includes ASPs for nine product categories, covering both household and professional cleaning applications, namely: professional building care products; household automatic and manual dishwash detergents; fabric conditions; liquid and solid laundry detergents; dilutable all purpose and floor cleaners; toilet cleaners and trigger care cleaners. Products are assessed against category-specific criteria, including environmental considerations supported by the Environmental Safety Check (ESC) methodology.