HOW WE SELECT RONA ECO AND ECO-RESPONSIBLE PRODUCTS

To be considered eco-responsible, a product must offer features that reduce its environmental impact when compared to similar conventional products. The product may be identified as being less toxic, biodegradable, made of recycled materials, etc.

The first step in the selection process consists of verifying that supplier environmental claims are supported by credible, relevant evidence.

The second step consists of using the life cycle approach to demonstrate whether the claimed feature provides real and significant environmental benefits.

Having environmental features is not enough to identify a product as being more ecological: the features must generate impact reductions. For example, a product that is “compostable” is potentially more ecological than its non-compostable equivalent only if composting facilities exist where the product will end its useful life.

Not only must the features lead to reductions in environmental impact, but these reductions must be meaningful. The features must reduce the impact related to key environmental problems for this product category.

The assessment is always carried out using the life cycle approach, which assumes that products generate impacts at every stage of the life cycle: from the acquisition of the primary materials and manufacturing, to packaging, transportation, use and end-of-life.

For every environmental product feature, the consequences of that feature must be questioned at every stage of the life cycle. For example, a product made of a renewable material may not be recyclable at the end of life. Sometimes features displace the impact from one category to another: a product that consumes less energy may emit a pollutant that is noxious to human health. A good environmental feature should not shift the impact from one stage of the life cycle to another or from one impact category to another.

HOW THESE PRODUCTS HELP YOU REDUCE YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT

Of all the different kinds of impact generated during a product’s life cycle, some are more serious than others. The serious ones are called “hot spots” or key environmental issues in the product’s life cycle. For example, with most electrical products, the use of energy resources during the use stage is a hot spot.

An eco-responsible product must have, at a minimum, features that reduce the impact of key environmental problems. The life cycle approach helps identify these hot spots for each product category.
Besides being subject to a strict validation of environment features and the life cycle approach, eco-responsible products are usually certified by recognized ecolabels.

Recognized ecolabels provide the assurance that certified products offer better environmental performance in terms of key environment issues related to their life cycle. Ecolabels are generally awarded by independent third parties that conduct strict verifications of environmental claims. For all these reasons, RONA supports and encourages the use of recognized ecolabels in Canada.

Products in the RONA ECO line offer environmental performance at least equal to if not superior to the eco-responsible products. These products have been evaluated and selected using a simplified life cycle assessment.

The unique angle of life cycle assessment is that rather than measure the ecological impact of a product, it measures the means of fulfilling a need. Consumers all have different needs to fulfil. The need may be to maintain a particular temperature in the home, fix up an outdoor space, manage household waste, etc.

Most of the time, consumers have to use products to fill these needs (like insulation, fences, composters, etc.). The life cycle assessment method is used in the selection process to determine which product best fulfils these needs (from an environmental perspective).

The RONA ECO line was developed with this in mind, and a RONA ECO product is always the most environmentally respectful way of fulfilling your need. Of course, the RONA ECO product selection process considers the product’s entire life cycle, as well as all of the environmental issues outlined above.

Practically speaking, this means that in terms of its entire life cycle, a RONA ECO product generates fewer greenhouse gases, causes less of an impact on water, human health and ecosystems, and consumes fewer non-renewable resources than an equivalent conventional product.

Like our eco-responsible products, RONA ECO products also meet the strictest requirements in terms of existing standards and ecolabels. The RONA ECO line has to pass through this entire stringent procedure, proving it is the most ecological and environmentally respectful choice across its entire life cycle.

ECOLOGOS

In addition to being subjected to the life cycle methodology, most of our eco-responsible products are also certified by recognized ecolabels. 

 Energy Star ®
ENERGY STAR is an international energy-efficiency program managed in Canada by Natural Resources Canada's Office of Energy Efficiency. In general, an ENERGY STAR qualification guarantees a level of energy efficiency that is l0 to 50% higher than standard models.


 

 

Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is a non-government organization that has developed principles and criteria to define sound forest management strategies. The products (wood, furniture, paper, etc.) that carry the FSC logo are made from wood grown in forests that have been managed in a way that respects the environment and communities, while being economically viable.

ÉcoLogo™
Environment Canada's EcoLogo is managed by TerraChoice Environmental Marketing Inc. And helps consumers identify the products and services that have lesser environmental impacts. EcoLogo products were all compared to similar items and assessed according to criteria based on scientific findings.


 
 

Forest products marking program - CSA (Canadian Standards Association)
The Canadian Standards Association (CSA) is a non-profit organization which develops Canadian standards and codes. The applicable CSA SFM mark on a forest product indicates that wood has been derived from a forest registered under CAN-CSA Z809, the National Standard of Canada on sustainable forest management and has been verified to the CSA Chain-of-Custody requirements (PEFC Annex 4) through an independent third party chain-of-custody audit.

 

Watersense ®
WaterSense is a program managed by the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA). The Canadian Standards Association (CSA) participates in this initiative, which aims to promote products that contribute to reducing water consumption, including faucets, toilets, shower heads, and irrigation systems. WaterSense certified products consume on average 20% less water than similar products on the market.

Green Seal ™
Green Seal is an independent non-profit organization, founded in 1989, that develops environmental standards and certifies various consumer products for Canada and the United States. Items with the Green Seal have a lesser impact on the health of people and the environment, perform as well as or better than others in its class and comply with a stringent, life-cycle based scientific standard.


 

Sustainable Forestry Initiative ® (SFI inc.)
SFI Inc. is an independent non-profit charitable organization with a science-based, internationally recognized forest management standard developed specifically for North American forests. The SFI standard is based on principles and measures that promote sustainability, including measures to protect water quality, biodiversity, wildlife habitat, species at risk and forests with exceptional conservation value.