128 V1 Criteria C

Eco Mark Product Category No.128“Household Commodity Version1.26” Certification Criteria
Category C. Strainers for Kitchen Sinks, Absorbents for Used Cooking Oil andCooking Oil Filters
Japan Environment Association
Eco Mark Office
1. Purpose of Establishing Certification Criteria
Commodities consist of various products, ranging broadly from kitchen utensils totableware, home and living supplies, etc. They are the most closely related daily-use
products to consumers. Setting an Eco Mark Category for such a group of commodities
to recommend eco-friendly products within the category to consumers would therefore
contribute enormously to reducing environmental impact in daily living, as well as
enhance the environmental awareness of consumers. For this reason, theestablishment of this Product Category is considered to have vast environmental
significance.
Under the Eco Mark program, the certification criteria of several current productcategories have been established taking material into account, namely ProductCategory No.115 “Wooden Products Using Waste Wood, Thinned-Out Wood,
Small-Diameter Logs, etc.”, No. 118 “Plastic Products Using Recycled Materials”, andNo.124 “Glass Products”. This new Product Category was established by integrating
the commodity products included in those product categories and adding tableware,
kitchen utensils, footwear, and home and living supplies to cover a broad range of
products.
Existed eight categories of the Eco Mark program cover kitchen utensils
including sponges, coffee filters, cooking oil filters, rubber gloves, waste oil absorbers,
draining filter bags, strainers, and triangle strainers for kitchen sinks. They have also
been organized and integrated into this Commodity category. For these types of
products, previous criteria were established from the environmental perspective ofpreventing discharge of water pollutants, using natural materials, and non-bleaching,
but as a result of a general evaluation based on the new product lifecycle concept,
they were reviewed also from the perspectives of effective use of resources andchemical substances this time.
As a specific example, Product Category No.5 “Absorbents for Used Cooking Oil”
was established for the purpose of reducing waste by preventing the discharge of
waste oil which causes water pollution and the use of recycled material, while in this
Product Category, the effective use of thinned-wood and waste fiber (cloth, etc.) as
unused material differing from recycled material was selected as a new criteria.

2. Applicable Scope
Strainers for Kitchen Sinks (Triangle strainers for kitchen sinks, Strainers for kitchensinks, Filter bags for kitchen disposal), Absorbents for Used Cooking Oil and Cooking
Oil Filters
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128 V1 Criteria C
However, for products using electricity and products whose mass ratio of leather
materials, and stone that make up 50% or more of the total product mass are
excluded.

3. Terminology
Terms for the common criteria
Disposable products
Products not intended for repeated use while otherproducts in the same area are used repeatedly withdurability.
Reusable
Nature of products and packaging designed for
repeated use for a certain number of times throughrecycling.
Recycling
Indicates material recycling. Does not include
energy recovery (thermal recycling).
Prescription constituents Components intentionally added with the purposeof providing specific characteristics to the product.
Impurities which are inevitably mixed during the
manufacturing process are excluded.
Plastic sheet
Plate-like thin plastic with 0.25mm and more
thickness
Terms for material
Recycled material
Materials made of post-consumer materials,
pre-consumer materials, or a mixture of these. In
this Product Category, includes waste fiber.
Pre-consumer material
Materials or defective products generated from
disposal route of manufacturing process. However,excludes those recycled within the same process as
the raw material (same plant).
Post-consumer material
Materials or products disposed after used as a
product.
Terms for paper
Percentageofwaste Weight percentage of waste pulp in pulp contained
paper in the pulp mixture in product. Expressed by (waste paper pulp) /(virgin pulp + waste paper pulp) x 100 (%).
However, the weight of the pulp is measured under
the condition of containing 10% moisture. For
materials with 100% yield such as pulp mold andcushioning made of cut waste paper, percentage of
waste paper in pulp mixture is taken to be 100%
regardless of the actual percentage.
Terms for wood
Reused/Unused wood
Indicates the following: thinned wood, waste wood,construction waste wood, and less useful wood.
Thinned wood
Waste wood

Wood produced from work activities adjusting theindividual density of the objective tree type according
to the congested state of forest stand.
Used wood (used packaging material, etc.),
remainder material generated in wood processing

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128 V1 Criteria C

Construction waste woodLess useful wood

Waste plant fiber

Wooden partTerms for plastic
Plastic

plants (shavings generated in plywood and lumber
plants, etc, low quality chips not used as raw
material for paper, etc.), and wood and woodenmaterials such as trimmed branches, bark, etc.
Wood and wooden materials disposed as waste inconstruction work such as dismantling of buildings,
construction of new buildings, building extensions,renovation, and construction related to other work.
Abandoned lumber in the forest, shrubs, tree roots,wood obtained from lumber damaged by disease,pests, disasters, bent or small diameter logs, etc.
Also includes bamboo cut down in bamboo groves
for the purpose of maintenance and management inenvironment preservation. Small diameter logs
measuring less than 14 cm in diametercorresponding to “a” or “b” below must be certified
as forests sustainably managed by an independent
third party.
a. Small diameter logs from logs felled from naturalforests.
b. Small diameter logs from logs produced by clear
cutting, patch logging, and strip logging inplantation forests.
Fiber made from agricultural residue (such as
stalks that are usually disposed, etc.) generated inharvesting and manufacturing process of crop.
Actual wood (including plant fiber)

Materials made of single or multiple polymers,
additives, fillers, etc. added to give characteristics
Polymer
Macromolecules,
which
are
the
main
components of plastic.
Biomass
Biomass is a term originally used in ecology todescribe the amount (mass) of living organisms(bio). In this criteria, it refers to resources thatare organic matter derived from plants andanimals, excluding fossil fuels.
Plastics that are produced from bio-based synthetic
Bio-based plastic
polymer derived from renewable organic resources
such as plants. In particular, plant-derived plastics
are also called plant-based plastics. For example,
polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET),
polylactic
acid
(PLA)
and
polytrimethylene
terephthalate (PTT) are offered in the form of
bio-based plastics.
*Bio-based plastic means plastic whose bio-basedcarbon content can be determined by 14C content
measurement specified in ISO 16620-2 or ASTM
D6866.Plastic made of bio-based synthetic polymer
whose materials are plant.
Bio-basedsynthetic Polymer obtained through chemical and/or
polymer
biological industrial process(es) wholly or partly
from biomass resources.
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128 V1 Criteria C
Bio-basedsynthetic Amount of biomass resource origin part in biobased
polymer content ratesynthetic polymer present in the product (or the
portion specified in the certification criteria).
Natural polymers such as starch are not included.
ThisisdefinedinISO
16620-1
3.1.5.
(original :biobased synthetic polymer content:
amount of biobased synthetic polymer present in
the product.)Terms for fiber
Unused fibers:
Fibers using unused materials such as cotton
linters, staples produced during spinning (threadthat cannot be used as the same grade, or ones that
require some processing when used), fibers
extracted from waste plant fiber materials (banana
fiber, etc.) , etc.
Cotton linter:
The fuzz of cotton fibers that start to emerge fromthe plant four to twelve days after flowering
Waste
plant
fiber Unused plant fibers including cane, etc., which arematerial
usually wasted, such as agricultural residue
generated in harvesting and manufacturing processof crop.
Recycled fibers:
Fibersrecycledfrompre-consumer
andpost-consumer materials. Depending on therecycling method, there are reclaimed fibers,
recycled polymer fibers, chemically recycled fibers
and other recycled fibers (fibers directly recycledfrom recovered fiber by twisting, cutting, tearing,etc.).
Recovered fibers:
Waste fiber products including used clothing thathave become unnecessary. It refers to both "wasted
clothing", the used clothing and used cloth material
collected from homes and plants. This term alsomeans "wasted fibers", which are generated frommanufacturing processes such as thread wastes
from a weaving mill and cutting wastes from asewing plant.
Reclaimed fibers:
Fiber which returned to flocculating fiber byraveling a recovered fiber of pre-consumer andpost-consumer material with Rag machines
Recycled polymer fiber:
Fibers recycled from synthetic resin or regenerated
materials of synthetic resins in a polymer structureusing regenerate flakes or pellets.
Chemically recycled fiber: Fibers consisting of polymer from polymerizing
monomers obtained by depolymerizing thepolymers of regenerated materials of synthetic
resin, or synthetic fibers such as nylon andpolyester.
Fiber-based
recycled Recycled fibers whose main contents are recovered
fibersfibers from recycled polymer fibers or chemicallyrecycled fibers. Although recovered fibers frompre-consumer and post-consumer materials may beconsidered materials, they shall only be applied in
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128 V1 Criteria C

Bio-based synthetic fiber

the event of using recovered fibers frompost-consumer materials to be recycled. If major
materials of regenerated materials, which are put
through a series of recycled processes for theformation of fibers are recovered fibers, even when
only a part of the regenerated materials include
waste plastic, the total amount of regenerated
materials included can be considered recovered
fiber-based.
Synthetic fiber whose material is bio-based plastic.

4. Certification Criteria and Certification Procedure
To show conformance to the individual criteria item, the respective AttachedCertificates shall be submitted.
4-1. Environmental Criteria and Certification Procedure
4-1-1. Common Criteria and Certification Procedure(1) In manufacturing the applied product, related environmental laws andregulations and pollution control agreement (hereinafter referred to as the“Environmental Laws, etc.”) must be followed with respect to air pollution, watercontamination, noise, offensive odor, and emission of hazardous substances in thearea where the plant performing the final manufacturing process is located.
In addition, the state of compliance with the Environmental Laws, etc. for the past
five years from the date of application (whether there is any violation) must bereported. If there is any violation, proper remedies and preventive measures shallhave been already taken, and the related Environmental Laws, etc. must thereafter
be followed appropriately.
[Certification Procedure]With respect to the compliance with the Environmental Laws, etc. in the area
where the plant performing the final manufacturing process is located, acertificate issued by the representative of the business of manufacturing theapplied product or the relevant plant manager (entry or attachment of a list ofnames of the Environmental Laws, etc.) must be submitted.
In addition, the applicants shall report whether there is any violation in the past
five years, including a violation subject to administrative punishment oradministrative guidance, and if there is, the following documents in a and b mustbe submitted:
a. With respect to the fact of violation, guidance documents from administrative
agencies (including order of correction and warning) and copies of written
answers (including those reporting causes and results of correction) to such
documents (clearly indicating a series of communication);b. Following materials (copies of recording documents, etc.) concerning themanagement system for compliance with the Environmental Laws, etc. in 1)-5):
1) List of the Environmental Laws, etc. related to the area where the plant islocated;2) Implementation system (organizational chart with roles, etc.);
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128 V1 Criteria C3) Bylaws stipulating retention of recording documents;
4) Recurrence prevention measures (future preventive measures);5) State of implementation based on recurrence prevention measures (result ofchecking of the state of compliance, including the result of onsite inspection).
(2) Products shall not increase waste (products shall not be disposable).
[Certification Procedure]
The use of the applied product shall be indicated in the Attached Certificates.
(3) Products shall consist of less than 50% metal for the total product mass.
However, this requirement does not apply to “triangle strainers for kitchen sinks”,“strainers for kitchen sinks”, “cooking oil filters”.
[Certification Procedure]
The total mass of metals used in the applied products shall be indicated in the
Attached Certificate.
(4) Products shall be shipped in the unpackaged state or in simple packaging at theretail stage. Material labeling of plastic materials used for packaging shallconform to JIS K 6899-1:2000. However, labeling can be omitted in accordancewith the standards on ID marks in the “report developed by the Package Labeling
Review Committee” (Ministry of Economics, Trade and Industry) such as “labelingfor plain containers”, “labeling for containers with physical restrictions of display
space, etc.”, “labeling conditions and methods for multi-layer containers, etc.”,“labeling for packaging printed with company/brand name”, and “labeling onexport products”.
[Certification Procedure]
The packaging state in the retail stage of products, packaging material used(content rate of recycled materials), material labeling state shall be indicated in
the Attached Certificate. (Drawings and photographs can be used to supplement
description). If material labeling is omitted, the reason shall be indicated.
(5) Plastic materials used for packaging shall not use plastics containing halogens
in the polymer backbone.
[Certification Procedure]
For packaging, use or not of any plastics containing halogens to the polymer
backbone shall be indicated in the Attached Certificate.
(6) The product shall not use antimicrobial agents as far as possible. In the case ofuse, the product shall be certified by the SIAA Mark of Society of Industrial
technology for Antimicrobial Articles or the SEK Mark of Japan Textile
Evaluation Technology Council, etc.
[Certification Procedure]Compliance with this item shall be indicated in the Attached Certificate.
In the case of using antibacterial agents, documents certifying SIAA Mark ofSociety of Industrial technology for Antimicrobial Articles, or SEK Mark of Japan
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128 V1 Criteria C
Textile Evaluation Technology Council, etc. shall be submitted.

4-1-2. Material criteria and Certification Procedure
Materials (including a consumable part ) of which the product is composed shallmeet the material criteria specified below. However, the following material criteria
shall not apply to small accessories (screws, shoestrings and other small parts
required by the product function).
A. Paper(7) For “kitchen sink water draining filter bag”, percentage of waste paper in thepulp mixture shall be above 20%.
(8) Addition of fluorescent whitening agents as a prescription constituent shall beminimized.
(9) Chlorine gas shall not be used in the bleaching process of pulp.
[Certification Procedure]
Certificates issued by the paper manufacturer shall be submitted. For (7), thewaste paper pulp content shall be indicated. The amount of florescent whiteners
used shall be indicated in the certificate, if added,
Whether chlorine gas is used in the pulp whitening process shall be indicated.

B. Plastic(10) For plastics used for “triangle strainers for kitchen sinks”, “strainers for
kitchen sinks”, mass ratio of recycled polymer in the total raw material polymer ofthe product shall be 50% or more for products made of post-consumer materials as
the raw material polymer. However, for products made of pre-consumer materials
as the raw material polymer, mass ratio of recycled polymer made frompre-consumer materials in the total raw material polymer of the product shall be
60% or more.
For plastics used for “kitchen sink water draining filter bag”, mass ratio ofrecycled polymer in the total raw material polymer shall be 20% or more.
Products using bio-based plastic shall meet the criteria item (11) instead of thisitem
[Certification Procedure]
The mass ratio of pre-consumer materials and post-consumer materials making
up the whole product shall be indicated in the Attached Certificate. Raw material
certificates issued by the raw material supplier shall also be attached.
(11) Products using bio-based plastic shall meet all requirements in the following a)to c).
a) The content of bio-based synthetic polymer in the product shall be equal to or
higher than 25%;

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128 V1 Criteria Cb) Sustainability of biomass mixed into plastic as raw material shall meet therequirements of Appendix 1(a) “Sustainability checklist of bio-based plastics (rawresin)” and the supply chains of the biomass shall be identified. If the biomass
material has underwent third-party audit or certification for sustainability (aninternational sustainability certification for plastics, etc.), the result of audit or
certification may be submitted as evidence instead of Appendix 1(a)c) It shall be confirmed through life cycle assessment (LCA) that the bio-based
plastic (raw resin) does not cause an increase of GHG emissions (in terms of CO 2)
throughout the product life cycle in comparison with a resin to replace with.
[Certification Procedure]a) Certificates indicating the calculated content of bio-based synthetic polymers in
the product shall be submitted. For the bio-based plastic (raw resin) thereof,
measurement results of the bio-based synthetic polymer content calculated withthe method specified in ISO 16620-3, using measurement results of thebio-based carbon content and element composition by the 14C method specified
in ISO 16620-2 or ASTM D6866 shall be mentioned. Should there be any
deviation of 10% or higher between the measurement results and the content of
bio-based synthetic polymer in the standard, a description of a reason(s)therefor shall also be included. The measurement results of the bio-based carbon
content shall be submitted as an attached document.
In addition, for appropriate maintenance of the content of bio-based synthetic
polymer after certification, any of the following certificates issued by a raw resin
supplier (including a dealer) shall be submitted.
- An explanatory document stating that measurements of the content of
bio-based carbon will be regularly carried out, and that measurement results
can be disclosed as per a request of the Eco Mark Office; and- A certificate that the Applicant has been audited or certified by a third party
for management of the content of the bio-based synthetic polymer.
b) An applicant shall submit documents on the source of biomass material (acultivation area (country, state, city, etc.), a generation process of waste andresidues, etc.), a manufacturing flowchart (of raw resin) (describe the name of
manufacturers of fundamental chemicals (monomers), polymers, etc.), andchecklists or an evidence of a third-party audit or certification.
To the application for Eco Mark certification of products containing bio-based
plastics or biomass materials that have never been certified for use, Eco Mark
Office may request the applicant (or the plastic supplier) to provide informationon the chemical composition of the products (see Appendix 1(b)).
c) An applicant shall submit the result of LCA conducted by a third-party. (Anapplicant shall provide the LCA result and the calculation conditions. If theapplicant has underwent LCA under an international sustainability certific ation
scheme for plastics, it may submit the data instead. The applicant may submit
an academic paper published on a journal as an evidence as long as the samematerials and/or manufacturing processes (sites) are mentioned in the paper as
those used for the product applied for certification).
(12) HCFCs shall not be used during the manufacture of plastic materials.
[Certification Procedure]
Certificates issued by the manager of the plant manufacturing the plastic
material shall be submitted.
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128 V1 Criteria C(13) Plastics shall not use plastics containing halogens in the polymer backbone.
[Certification Procedure]
Use or not of plastics containing halogens in the polymer backbone shall be
indicated in the Attached Certificate.
(14) Products shall not contain harmful substances such as heavy metal, etc.
prescribed in laws and voluntary criteria of the industry concerned asprescription constituents.
Plastic additives shall conform to the positive list system of food utensils,
containers and packaging, etc. In case of using color materials or the plastic
additives which are not listed in the positive list for products other than foodutensils, containers and packaging, those color materials or plastic additives shallmeet the requirements described / prescribed in ISO 8124-3, laws or voluntarystandards in the industry etc.
[Certification Procedure]
Certificates issued by the raw material supplier, or documents certifying resultsof tests performed by a third party testing center or public institution shall be
submitted. The Applicant shall submit certificates that the plastic additives suchas color materials, plasticizers, stabilizers, lubricants and other additives used in
the plastic materials conform to the Positive List system of food utensils,
containers and packaging, etc. With respect to color materials and plastic
additives not listed in the Positive List, the results of tests to show theconformance to the requirements described in ISO 8124-3, laws or voluntarystandards in the industry, etc. shall be submitted(15) The product shall not contain Polybrominated biphenyl (PBB), Polybrominateddiphenylether (PBDE) or short-chain chlorinated paraffin (the number of chained
C is 10 to 13 and contained chloride concentration is 50% or over) as aprescription constituent when flame retardant is used in plastics.
[Certification Procedure]Compliance with this item shall be indicated in the Attached Certificate. In thecase of using flame retardant, the applicant shall submit a document specifying
the names of chemical substances.
C. Fibers(16) Fibers of products used in “Filter Bags for Kitchen Disposal” the mass ratio ofwaste fibers or recycled fibers in the total mass of the product shall meet theStandard content rate shown in Table 1.
Products using bio-based synthetic fiber shall meet the criteria item (17) insteadof this item.
Table 1. Standard content rate of Fiber Versus Total Mass of Product
Type of Fiber

Standard content rate

Waste fibers

10% or
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70% or more for products

128 V1 Criteria C
more

Recycled fiber

Reclaimed fiber
Recycledfiber

Chemicallyfiberusing cupra fibers, andunused material shall be
10% or more

10% or morepolymerrecycled

Other recycled fiber

20% ormore

For the amount of resin
content, Recycled polymer
shall be 50% or more.

20% ormore

For fiber-based recycled
fibers, the recovered
fiber-based recycled
polymer shall be 20% or
more.

20% ormore

Recycled monomer asmonomer content shall be
20% or more.

20% ormore

For fiber-based recycled
fibers, the recovered
fiber-based recycled
polymer shall be 20% or
more.

50% or more

[Certification Procedure]
The applicant or the manufacturer shall submit a certificate indicating the mass
ratio of the fiber material. They shall submit a material certificate indicating thedetails of unused/recycled materials, recycled methods, content rate, management
methods, etc. which was issued by the supplier of the fiber material. When
criteria for fiber-based recycled fibers are applied, amounts of recycled materials
received (amounts used) and their breakdown (recovered fiber, other waste
plastic, etc.) and results from a recent year, as well as their receiving system andresults of recovered fiber from post-consumer materials shall be reported.
However, when Eco Mark-certified products are used for the cloth, the indicationof the "Product brand name", "Certification number" and "Model (productnumber)" in relation to the cloth, etc. in the attached certificate may besubstituted for a materials certificate.
(17) The product containing bio-based synthetic fiber shall meet all the following
requirements, a-c.
a. The content ratio of bio-based synthetic polymer in the total mass of the fiber
portions shall be 10% or more. Also, the mass ratio of bio-based synthetic fiber inthe total mass of the fiber portions shall be 25% or more.
b. Sustainability of biomass mixed into plastic as raw material shall meet therequirements of Appendix 1(a) “Sustainability checklist of bio-based plastics (rawresin)” and the supply chains of the biomass shall be identified. If the biomass
material has underwent third-party audit or certification for sustainability (anC-10/27

128 V1 Criteria Cinternational sustainability certification for plastics, etc.), the result of audit or
certification may be submitted as evidence instead of Appendix 1(a).
c. It shall be confirmed through life cycle assessment (LCA) that the bio-based
plastic (raw resin) does not cause an increase of GHG emissions (in terms of CO 2)
throughout the product life cycle in comparison with a resin to replace with.
[Certification Procedure]a. The applicant or the manufacturer shall submit a certificate calculating thebio-based synthetic polymer content ratio and the mass ratio of plant-based
synthetic fibers in the fiber portion and a material certificate indicating
bio-based synthetic polymer content ratio in the bio-based synthetic fiber
material issued by a fiber material supplier or a raw resin supplier. For the
bio-based plastic (raw resin) thereof, measurement results of the bio-based
synthetic polymer content calculated with the method specified using bio-basedcarbon content in ISO 16620-3, using measurement results of the bio-basedcarbon content and element composition by according to the 14C method
specified in ISO 16620-2 or ASTM D6866-05 shall be mentioned. Should there
be any deviation of 10% or higher between the measurement results and thebio-based synthetic polymer content rate in the standard, a description of areason(s) therefor shall also be included.
The measurement results of the bio-based carbon content rate shall be
submitted as an attached document.
In addition, for appropriate maintenance of the bio-based synthetic polymer
content rate after certification, any of the following certificates issued by a raw
resin supplier (including a dealer) shall be submitted.
- An explanatory document stating that measurements of the bio-based carbon
polymer content rate will be regularly carried out, and that measurement
results can be disclosed as per a request of the Eco Mark Office; and- A certificate that the Applicant has been audited or certified by a third party
for management of the bio-based synthetic polymer content rate.
b. An applicant shall submit documents on the source of biomass material (acultivation area (country, state, city, etc.), a generation process of waste andresidues, etc.), a manufacturing flowchart (of raw resin) (describe the name of
manufacturers of fundamental chemicals (monomers), polymers, etc.), andchecklists or an evidence of a third-party audit or certification.
To the application for Eco Mark certification of products containing bio-based
plastics or biomass materials that have never been certified for use, Eco Mark
Office may request the applicant (or the plastic supplier) to provide
information on the chemical composition of the products (see Appendix 1(b)).
c. An applicant shall submit the result of LCA conducted by a third-party. (Anapplicant shall provide the LCA result and the calculation conditions. If theapplicant has underwent LCA under an international sustainability
certification scheme for plastics, it may submit the data instead. The applicant
may submit an academic paper published on a journal as an evidence as longas the same materials and/or manufacturing processes (sites) are mentioned in
the paper as those used for the product applied for certification.).
However, when an Eco Mark certified product is used for an intermediate
product, the indication of the "Product name (Product brand name)","Certification number" and "Model (product number)" in relation to the thread,
cloth, etc. in the attached certificate may be substituted for the certificate for a
raw resin supplier (including a dealer) or a fiber material supplier (a material
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128 V1 Criteria C
certificate, measurement results of the bio-based synthetic polymer content, acertificate of the appropriate maintenance of bio-based synthetic polymer content
rate after certification, Sustainability checklist of bio-based plastics (raw resin)..
(18) Use of chemical substances in fibers shall meet all the following requirements,
a-c.
a. Adequate consideration shall be given so that various processing (mildew
proofing, fluorescent whitening, flame retarding, softening, sanitation,
antimicrobial finishing, product bleaching) is limited to a necessity minimum,
products will not be subjected to excessive processing, and that use of any
processing agent that is suspected to affect safety to human body should be
refrained voluntarily. Also, standard values in Attachment 3-1 shall be met.
The product shall not contain such flame retardants as Polybrominated biphenyl(PBB), Polybrominated diphenylether (PBDE), short-chain chlorinated paraffin(the number of chained C is 10 to 13 and contained chloride concentration is 50%
or over) or Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) when flame retardant is used.
b. The amount of free formaldehyd shall conform to a standard value inAttachment3-2. However, this item shall not be applied to a product which isinstalled outside the buildings; andc. For a dye and pigment to be used in the product, dyes and pigments and chrome
defined in 1), 2), and 3) of the Attachment 3-3 shall not be added as a prescription
constituent.
[Certification Procedure]a. The applicant or the manufacturer shall submit a certificate indicating theprocessing or non-processing of the product. If a type of processing or chemical
agent that is being considered is made or used, a safety data sheet which
confirms the non-use of the substance in Attachment 3-1, or a certified
document of the test results, etc. shall be submitted.
b. For amount of free formaldehyde, test result by a third-party testingorganization or an applying company itself shall be submitted.
c. The non-use substance or test results issued by the dye plant (including
spin-dyeing and printing) shall be submitted. If the non-use of dyes, pigment
and chromate stipulated in 1), 2) and 3) of Attachment 3-3 at each phase of the
supply chain in relation to fiber materials excluding small accessories isconfirmed by complying with voluntary standards (Japan Textile Federation),
regarding the non-use of hazardous substances on fiber products andmanagement is implemented by clarifying traceability, a certificate (including
a sample of the confirmed documents), which describes the management
method issued by the applicant or the manufacturer is acceptable(19) Fibers shall not use resins containing halogens in the polymer
backbone(applies to resin as fiber and post-processing in this criteria item, not tocoloring materials and fluorine-based additives).
[Certification Procedure]
For fibers, use or not of resins containing halogens in the polymer backbone (resin
as fibers and post-processing in this item) shall be indicated in the AttachedC-12/27

128 V1 Criteria C
Certificate.

4-1-3. Criteria on individual products and certification procedure(20) Information on appropriate handling of products such as precautions on
handling and storage, etc. shall be provided in instruction manuals, on productlabels, and in pamphlets.
[Certification Procedure]
Copies of instruction manuals, product labels, pamphlets, etc. providing
information on handling and storage precautions shall be submitted.
(21) The tableware, cooking ware, or other apparatus for food or food additives thatcomes in contact with them product shall conform to the elution test for cadmium
and lead as defined in the Food Sanitation Act[Certification Procedure]
Results of tests based on the Food Sanitation Act shall be submitted.
(22) “The kitchen sink water draining filter bag”, “triangle strainers for kitchensinks” and “kitchen sink strainers” shall be smaller than mesh 1.5 mm. Products
shall not have any structure (smaller number of mesh openings, etc.) that impairs
the draining capability as a triangle strainer for kitchen sink and a kitchen sinkstrainer.
[Certification Procedure]
The mesh size shall be indicated in the Attached Certification. Results of tests onmesh size and product samples shall also be attached.
(23) “Cooking oil absorbents” shall contain
Reused/Unused wood in the absorbent material.

100%

recycled

materials

or[Certification Procedure]
The raw materials used and content rate of recycled materials of absorbents shallbe indicated in the Attached Certificate. Raw material certificates issued by raw
material suppliers shall be attached.
(24) “Cooking oil filters” shall be apparatus for filtering tempura oil and frying oil
after use. They shall also have functions to eliminate solid particles, deodorize
and de-color oil, and increase the number of repeatable usage. For tempura oil
after six uses (every filtration), deodorizing effects shall be below the odor index
of 22 and decolorizing effects below Red 3.5.
[Certification Procedure]
Evaluation of the odor index shall follow the triangular odor bag method manualby the Japan Association on Odor Environment. The measurement of color shallfollow the Lovibond method, the standard method for the analysis of fats, oils andrelated materials proposed by the Japan Oil Chemist’s Society.

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128 V1 Criteria C

4-2. Quality criteria and Certification procedure(25) The product quality shall conform to Japanese Industrial Standard, Japan
Agricultural Standards and the industry quality standards. In addition, thequality control is adequately implemented in the manufacturing stage.
[Certification Procedure]
Certificates of compliance with the corresponding quality criteria shall be
submitted. At the same time, certificates and declarations issued by the managerof the plant manufacturing the product that quality control is implemented in the
manufacturing stage and shipped that only products passing quality inspections
are shipped shall be submitted. If the applied product or the manufacturing plantof the applied product is JIS or JAS certified, submission of a photocopy of such
JIS or JAS certification shall be sufficient for certification of conformance to thisitem.
5. Considerations
In manufacturing products, it is desirable to consider the following, although they
are not requirements for certification. The conformance to the individual criteria
item shall be indicated in Attached Certificates.
(1) Products shipped in simple packaging shall meet the following criteria for
packaging material.
a. Percentage of waste paper in the pulp mixture shall be above 70%
b. Mass percentage of recycled polymers in the total raw material polymers usedin plastic sheets shall be above 60%.
6. Product Classification, Indication and Others(1) Products shall be classified by “Filter bag”, “Cooking oil absorbent” and “Cooking oil
filters” indicated in 2. Applicable Scope and by brand or series name. For the
Cooking oil filter, only when a consumable part that is sold alone is applied as a set
with the main body, the applicant shall be able to apply the cooking oil filter
including the consumable part in the same product category. Also, products shall beclassified into other product classification when materials used or the combinationof materials used differ. (Each material classifications of A-C in 4-1-2., recycledplastic, bio-based plastic, unused fiber, recycled fiber and biobased synthetic fiber
are considered as a different material.) Products shall not be classified by size orcolor.
(2) In principle, Eco Mark shown as below shall be indicated on the product.
Regarding licensee of Eco Mark Utilization Contract who already own Eco Markproducts, the indication of the logo and certification number that have been used isalso acceptable.

C-14/27

128 V1 Criteria C(Note for the indication)*For indicating the logo, Eco Mark certification number (eight-digit number) or thename of the licensee using the logo shall be appeared.
* Such expression as “Eco Mark product” can be used following the 2.(2) of the Guide
to Eco Mark Usage.
“Eco Mark product”, “#Eco Mark”, “www.ecomark.jp”, “Eco Mark Certificate”* In accordance with “Environmental Labeling Guidelines” of the Ministry of theEnvironment of Japan, etc., the environmental claims of certified products may be
indicated in association with Eco Mark.
(https://www.env.go.jp/policy/hozen/green/ecolabel/guideline/)* The Guide to Eco Mark Usage shall be followed for any cases not listed above.
(https://www.ecomark.jp/office/guideline/guide/)

Established: July 1, 2004 (Version 1.0)
Revised: Oct 14, 2004, Applicable Products, etc (Version1.1)
Revised: May 13, 2005, 4-6(1) and Attachment 1 (Version1.2)
Revised: Sept. 8, 2005, 4-1-2.(15) (Version1.3)
Revised: October 19, 2006, 4.(23)-(26), 4.(51)-(54), 6(2) (Version1.4)
Revised: April 13, 2007, 4-1-2.(15) (Version1.5)
Revised: August 2, 2007, 4-1-3.(42) (Version1.6)
Extension of Expiration date: Oct. 5, 2007
Revised: Feb. 14, 2008, (Version1.7)
Revised: August 21, 2008, (Version1.8)
Revised: May 1, 2009, (Version1.9)
Revised: November 4, 2009, (Version1.10)
Revised: December 13, 2010, (Version1.11)
Revised: March 1, 2011, (Version1.12)
Revised: August 1, 2011, (Version1.13)
Revised: November 1, 2011, (Version1.14)
Revised: February 1, 2012, (Version1.15)
Revised: July 5, 2012, (Version1.16)
Extension of Expiration date: February 1, 2014
Revised: June 1, 2015, (Version1.17)
Revised: June 1, 2016 (Version1.18)
Revised: February 1, 2017, (Version1.19)
Revised: September 1, 2017, (Version1.20)
Extension of Expiration date: January 7, 2019
Revised: March 1, 2019, (category A, Version1.21)
Revised: March 1, 2020, (category E, Version1.22)
C-15/27

128 V1 Criteria C
Revised: February 1, 2021, (category E, Version1.23)
Revised: February 1, 2023, (Version1.24)
Revised: September 1, 2023, (category I, Version1.25)
Extension of Expiration date: March 15, 2024
Revised: August 1, 2024 (Version1.26)
Expiration date: June 30, 2030
The Certification Criteria for the Product Category will be revised when necessary.

C-16/27

128 V1 Criteria C
Attachment 1 Forest Certification defined in Terminology
Certification criteria
Certification shall keep balance between ecological andsocial benefits, agree to Agenda 21 and the Declarationof Forest Principle, and observe related international
agreements and treaties.
Certification shall contain definite requirements andshall promote and be oriented to sustainable forest.
Certification shall be nationally or internationallyrecognized and shall be recommended as part of anopen process to which ecological, economic, and social
interested parties can participate.
Certification system
The certification system shall provide hightransparency, maintain extensive national orinternational reliability, and enable the verification ofrequirements.
Certification
Certification organization and association shall beorganization andhighly impartial and reliable, allow them to be verified
association
as to whether or not they satisfy requirements, reportthe verification results, and be able to effectively
implement requirements.

C-17/27

Appendix1(a)No

Purpose1

Prevention of
globalwarming,
conservationof the natural
ecosystem

Sustainability checklist of Bio-based Plastic (Raw Resin)
Request (Item that must be
realized)
Hasn’t the farm land where plants
are cultivated been converted fromvaluable land in biodiversity orland with high carbon storage(forests, peatland, etc.) since 2008?

Subject□Not
converted□Converted

Farm land

2

Realized

Conservation If the Applicant uses theofthe genetically modified crop as a raw
ecosystem
material, has the Applicant
assessed ensuring of safety?

□Notapplicabledue toresidues or
waste

□Yes/
□No/
□Not

Farm land

applicable(GM crops
Not used)□Not
applicabledue toresidues or
waste

Implementation Method (Check off all relevant
items.)□Confirmed the laws and regulations concerning theland conversion for the site.
□Gained the understanding of the actual condition of
the site through on-site investigation or hearings.
□Defined and released the guideline for procurement ofplants. Alternatively, conforming to the guideline of an
independent third party.
- Name of the guideline:- Location of release:□Also using the certification system of an independent
third party, regarding the procurement of plants.
-Name of certification system:□Others (Describe specifically.):□Confirmed

the laws and regulations concerning
genetically engineered crop on the site.
□Gained the understanding of the actual condition of
the site through on-site investigation or hearings.
□Defined and released the guideline for procurement ofplants. Alternatively, conforming to the guideline of an
independent third party.
- Name of the guideline:- Location of release:□Also using the certification system of an independent
third party, regarding the procurement of plants.

128 V1 Criteria C
Request (Item that must be
realized)No

Purpose3

Prevention ofland
acidification/
nutrient
enrichment/w
ater
contamination

Has the Applicant gained theunderstanding of usage conditionsof fertilizers/agricultural chemicals
in the main cultivation area ofplants?
Isn’t any agricultural chemical
regulated under the “Stockholm
Convention on Persistent Organic
Pollutants” (POPs Treaty) used?

Appropriate
water usage

Has the Applicant gained theunderstanding of usage conditionsof water in the main cultivation
area of plants?

4

Subject

Realized

Implementation Method (Check off all relevant
items.)-Name of certification system:□Others (Describe specifically.):□Confirmed

□Yes/
□No
□Not

Farm land

applicabledue toresidues or
waste

the laws and regulations concerning
fertilizers/agricultural chemicals on the site
□Gained the understanding of the actual condition of
the site through on-site investigation or hearings.
□Defined and released the guideline for procurement ofplants. Alternatively, conforming to the guideline of an
independent third party.
- Name of the guideline:- Location of release:□Also using the certification system of an independent
third party, regarding the procurement of plants.
-Name of certification system:□Others (Describe specifically.):□Confirmed the laws and regulations concerning usage

□Yes/
□No
□Not

Farm land

C-19/27

applicabledue toresidues orwaste

of water (limits on the amount of water) on the site.
□Gained the understanding of the actual condition of
the site through on-site investigation or hearings.
□Defined and released the guideline for procurement ofplants. Alternatively, conforming to the guideline of an
independent third party.
- Name of the guideline:- Location of release:□Also using the certification system of an independent128 V1 Criteria CNo

Purpose5

Useofrecycledresources,
avoidance ofcompetition
for food
Prevention of
globalwarming67

8Request (Item that must be
realized)

Subject

If recycled resources are available
as a part of crude raw materials of
bio-based plastic (raw resin) on the
Raw resin
site,
did
the
Applicantpreferentially use them?

Has the Applicant gained theunderstanding of the processing
status of methane having a highglobal warming potential if it isgenerated by fermentation in themain manufacturing plant for the
crude raw material?
Utilization of In the course of cultivation to raw
non-fossil
resin manufacturing, did theenergyApplicantutilizeasmanysources and non-fossil energy sources (forrenewable
example, bagasse, biogas, off gas,energyetc.) or renewable energy sources
sourcesas possible?
Legal
In manufacturing the bio-based
complianceplastic (raw resin), does theapplicantfollow
relatedenvironmental
laws
and

Realized□Yes/

Implementation Method (Check off all relevant
items.)
third party, regarding the procurement of plants.
-Name of certification system:□Others (Describe specifically.)
Name of recycled resource in use

□No/
□Not

[

]

Generated amount/percentage of recycled resources

applicable(Not
available)[]□Gained the understanding of the actual condition of

Crude rawmaterial
manufactu
ring plant

□Yes/
□No

the site through on-site investigation or hearings.
□Others (Describe specifically.)
[

□Not

]

applicable
Energy name and method of utilization[

Manufactu
ring plantResinmanufactu
ring plant

]

□Yes/
□No

Monomer manufacturer / plant name
□Yes/
□No

[

Resin manufacturer / plant name[C-20/27]]

128 V1 Criteria CNo

PurposeRequest (Item that must be
realized)
regulations and pollution control
agreement with respect to air
pollution, water contamination,
noise, vibration, offensive odor, andemission of hazardous materials?

Subject* Residues or Waste defined in Renewable Energy Directive (RED) of EU

C-21/27

Realized

Implementation Method (Check off all relevant
items.)

128 V1 Criteria C
Appendix 1 (b)Sheet for Providing Information for Application of ProductsContaining New types of Bio-based Plastics or Biomass Materials
Month/Day/Year
Submit to: Eco Mark Office, Japan Environment Association
Company name:
Department:
Name:E-mail:1. Information on bio-based plastic used in a product applied for Eco Markcertification
Item
Type of plastic (PE, etc.)

Description

Chemical structural formula

Major use (molded product,
fiber)
Launch onto the market andproduction
volumeof
bio-based plastic□Already put on the market (□Japan／□Overseas)□Not yet (the scheduled time of launchMonth/Year)
Production
tons (Year)volume(actual,plannedor

estimated)

Manufacturer of bio-based
plastic (and the URL of
website)(Describe the name of manufacturerof bio-based plastic proposed in theform in addition to the applicant)Fossil-based plastic to be
replaced with the bio-based
plastic
Manufacturing process chartfrom raw material toproduction of plastic

May be described in an attached sheet(Description of processes fromacceptance of raw material toproduction of monomer andplastic, with or without offermentation process, etc.)

100-percent bio-based/
Partially bio-based□100-percent bio-based (the bio-based synthetic polymer
content is 100 percent)□Partially bio-based -> The maximum bio-based synthetic
polymer content that can be mixed into the bio-based
plastic [ %]Management under the massbalance (MB) approach□Plastic directly mixed with biomass／□MB approach*Bio-based plastics managed under the MB approach are
not covered by the guidelines.

Biodegradability

□Yes

□No

／

Disposal after use
Issues in disposal andC-22/27

128 V1 Criteria C
recycling in comparison withfossil-based plastics to replacewith (possible disposal method,etc.)

2. Information on biomass material
Type

of

Item
biomass

Description
material(name of plant, etc.)
Cultivation area (country, state,city, etc.) or the generation

process of waste and residues,
etc.
Productionorgeneration
volume of biomass material
Main use of biomass material(principal product or by-product)
State of cultivation land (forplants, describe type of land suchas peatland)

Possible influences on biomass
material if production of
bio-based plastic increases in
the future (Influences on otheruses of the biomass, influences
caused by rapid expansion of
production of the biomass, etc.)

Competing demand against
foods
Use of recycled material inproduction of bio-based plastic(If recycled material can be used,describe the source, collection
methods, management under EU
RED, etc.)

3. Information on sustainability of biomass material
Item
Description
Sustainability certificates andinitiatives of biomass material(RSPO,
ISCC,
etc.)
and
acquisition(Ifacquired,
describe
the
name
and
detailed criteria)
Any sustainability issues
pointed out by NGOs or
researchers regarding thecultivation of biomass
material (If any, describe thedetails and the URL of website ofNGOs or researchers)

Any other concerns about thebiomass material

4. Others
Item

Description
C-23/27

128 V1 Criteria C
Other bio-based plastics
produced from the same
biomass material (if any,describe the name ofbio-based plastics)
Others* Attach relevant documents such as company profile of manufacturer.
The information provided in this form will be used as reference for examination of Eco Markcertification by Eco Mark Office and relevant committees only. The Certification Committee will assess
the sustainability of bio-based plastic based on the information provided in the form. The Certification
Committee may conduct additional study or consult with the Evaluation Panel established under theCommittee as necessary. In this case, a longer assessment period will be taken than usua l.

Attachment 3-1. Standard for processing agents of fiber material
Name

Criteria

Organic mercury
compoundTriphenyltin compound
Tributyltin compound
Dieldrin
DTTB

Shall
not
detected

APO
TDBPP
Bis (2,3-dibromopropyl)
phosphate compound
PFOS
PFOSF
PFOA
PFHxS

Shall not be
detected

DEHP/ DBP/ BBP/
DNOP/ DINP/ DIDP

0.1wt% or lessbe

30 ppm or less

Test Method

Concerned Products

MHW Ordinance
No. 34

Products
fungicideMHW Ordinance
No. 34
OekoTexMHW Ordinance
No. 34

Products using wool
products
or
mothproofing agents
Products
using
fire
retardant agents

Shall not be used

EN15777:2009
MHL notification
No. 370
OekoTexusing

Products using fluorine
system water repellent
agents, oil repellent
agents or soil-releasefinishing agents
Printed products forsmall babies

Attachment 3-2 Standard of free formaldehyde amount from fibers
Name of
Substance

Formaldehyde

Clothes for
infants (under
24 months old)Not detected(16ppm or less)Target ProductProducts likely
to touch the skin75ppm or lessC-24/27

Other products

300ppm or less

Test Method
Ordinance No. 34 oftheMinistryofHealth and Welfare128 V1 Criteria C

Attachment 3-3 List of prohibited dyes and pigments
1) Azo Dyes which may generate the following carcinogenic amines indegradation (Dyes whose detection value of the following aromatic amine
exceed 30mg/kg according to JIS L 1940-1 and JIS L 1940-3 (ISO24362-1,
ISO24362-3, or EN 14362-1, EN14362-2))
CAS No92-67-1
92-87-5
95-69-2
91-59-8
97-56-3
99-55-8
106-47-8
615-05-4
101-77-9
91-94-1
119-90-4
119-93-7
838-88-0
120-71-8
101-14-4
101-80-4
139-65-1
95-53-4
95-80-7
137-17-7
90-04-0
95-68-1
87-62-7
60-09-3Name
4-Aminobiphenyl
Benzidine
4-Chloro-o-toluidine
2-Naphthylamineo-Aminoazotoluene
2-Amino-4-nitrotoluene
4-Chloroaniline
2,4-Diaminoanisole
4,4'-Diaminodiphenylmethane
3,3-Dichlorbenzidine
o-Dianisidine; 3,3'-Dimethoxybenzidine
o-Tolidine; 3,3'-Dimethylbenzidine
4,4'-Diamino-3,3'-dimethyldiphenylmethane
p-Cresidine
4,4'-Diamino-3,3'-dichlorodiphenylmethane
4,4'-Diaminodiphenyl ether
4,4'-Diaminodiphenyl sulfide
o-Toluidine
2,4-Diaminotoluene
2,4,5-Trimethylaniline
o-Anisidine
2,4-Xylidine
2,6-Xylidine
4-Aminoazobenzene

2) Carcinogenic Dyes
CAS No569-61-92475-45-8
3761-53-3
2602-46-2
1937-37-7
573-58-0
2832-40-8
632-99-5
82-28-0

C.I.
C.I. BASIC RED 9
C.I. DISPERSE BLUE 1
C.I. ACID RED 26
C.I. DIRECT BLUE 6
C.I. DIRECT BLACK 38
C.I. DIRECT RED 28
C.I. DISPERSE YELLOW 3
C.I. BASIC VIOLET14
C.I. DISPERSE ORANGE11

CI 42500
CI 64500
CI 16150
CI 22610
CI 30235
CI 22120
CI 11855

3) Skin Sensitizing Dyes
2475-46-9
12222-75-2
2832-40-8
730-40-5
2872-52-8
2475-45-8
3179-90-6
3860-63-7

2872-48-2

C.I. DISPERSE BLUE 3
C.I. DISPERSE BLUE 35
C.I. DISPERSE BLUE 106
C.I. DISPERSE BLUE 124
C.I. DISPERSE YELLOW 3
C.I. DISPERSE ORANGE 3
C.I. DISPERSE ORANGE 37
C.I. DISPERSE RED 1
C.I. DISPERSE BLUE 1
C.I. DISPERSE BLUE 7
C.I. DISPERSE BLUE 26
C.I. DISPERSE BLUE 102
C.I. DISPERSE ORANGE 1
C.I. DISPERSE ORANGE 76
C.I. DISPERSE RED 11

C-25/27

CI 61505

CI 11855
CI 11005
CI 11110
CI 64500
CI 62500
CI 63305
CI 11080
CI 62015

128 V1 Criteria C
119-15-3

C.I. DISPERSE RED 17
C.I. DISPERSE YELLOW 1
C.I. DISPERSE YELLOW 9
C.I. DISPERSE YELLOW 39
C.I. DISPERSE YELLOW 49
C.I. DISPERSE BROWN1

Omitted below.
---

C-26/27

CI 11210
CI 10345
CI 10375

128 V1 Criteria C
Appendix Method for Testing Mesh Size of Draining Triangle Strainers, Strainers,
and Filter Bags for Kitchen Sinks(1) Instruments Used in Testing1) Test beads
・ Commercially available glass beads (without a hole) or glass beads forpolishing materials, diameter of which is 1.5 mm
・ Using a sieve (made of metal) specified in JIS Z8801, separate beads that passthrough a sieve opening of 1.6 mm from those that do not pass through a sieve
opening of 1.4 mm (the beads to be referred to as 1.5 mm beads)
・ Before testing, wash them in water in advance and well dry them. (as a guide,
dry them in a dryer at 105°C/for 3 hours).
2) Applied products. In the case of a filter bag, corner strainer, etc. using a filter
bag*Use a corner strainer, etc. of size to which the filter bag applies.
3) Beaker of 500 ml or more (It does not have to be a beaker as far as water of 500
ml can be measured. )(2) Method of Testing1) Put 50 grams of 1.5 mm beads and water into a 500 ml beaker so that the volume
will be 500 ml.
2) Filter total volume of mixed water in the beaker with an applied product. (In thecase of a filter bag, set the filter bag in a corner strainer, etc. where the filter bag
is used, and perform filtering.)
3) If any bead is left in the beaker, add 500ml of water to the beaker, repeat the step2) twice or more, and filter all the beads in the beaker.
4) Well dry beads remaining in the filter paper, and weigh them at room
temperatures.
(3) Checking Test Results
1) Perform tests and measurements five times, and determine a mean of threemeasurements, excluding maximum and minimum measurements, as a test
result.
2) As a test result, if weight of beads left in the draining net is greater than 95% of
the weight of all beads used in testing, it shall be considered that the applied
product meets “Certification Standard Item (19)”.
(4) Others
1) Beads are desirably glass beads to be used in laboratories, etc. and have specificweight of approximately 2.5 to 2.8.
2) JIS Z8801 “Test Sieves” (1) to (3).

C-27/27