Product Certification - Overview
Documentation
How do you obtain the natureplus-Seal of Quality? You send an application for testing to the offices of natureplus e.V. and all necessary documentation will be sent to you.
Procedure
On receipt of the completed documentation, the Association will start the pre-testing procedure. You will receive notification of whether your product is eligible for certification or not:
a) If it is not suitable the procedure will be terminated.
b) If it is suitable, you will receive an offer from the Association for the main testing procedure.
Once the Association has received your application for the main testing procedure, a visit to your production facilities will be arranged, test samples will be taken and subsequently product life-cycle analyses and various laboratory tests will be undertaken.
a) If your product did not fulfil the criteria, it is possible for you to apply again for the main testing procedure once those deficient areas/aspects have been optimised.
b) If your product fulfils the criteria, it will receive the natureplus-Seal of Quality from natureplus e.V.
In the Test Guidelines, as well as in the other sub-sections of the certification, you will be able to learn all about the procedure and the documentation required for certification.
» Test Guidelines (PDF)
Application Forms
Here you will receive all the documents required for the pre-testing procedure. Based upon the details provided about your product, a decision will be made within the pre-testing procedure as to whether your product could, in principle, be eligible for the natureplus-Seal of Quality certification. Along with your application for pre-testing you must provide a copy of the completed Data Capture Form. If the initial result of the pre-testing procedure is positive, you will receive an individual offer for the main testing procedure.
» Data Capture Form (PDF)
Certification costs
Products are awarded the natureplus- Seal of Quality for a period of three years. For the duration of this period a proposal of costs will be produced that includes the following services:
Pre-testing procedure
Main testing procedure
LCA-Analyses
Production facilities testing
Laboratory tests
Certification
License
All prices are available in the pricelist which enables a transparent calculation of the costs. In general, the testing costs are dependent upon the product to be tested and the scope of the testing required as laid down in the issuance guidelines. Where multiple products of a common product line are to be tested, the testing costs per product are generally reduced significantly. Additionally, low-priced conformity testing is performed on an annual basis.
» Certification costs (PDF)
Issuance criteria
The basic criteria are valid for all products that are awarded the natureplus- Seal of Quality. Additionally, there are product group and product-specific requirements which must be met. Suppliers of certified products must comply with the current legal requirements of their particular country in respect of the production, sales and usage of the products.
» more
Issuance Guidelines
The criteria and requirements for the award of the natureplus-Seal of Quality are laid down in the Issuance Guidelines. Every building product awarded the Quality must fulfil the basic criteria, the product group criteria and (if applicable) those of its product category.
In addition to the Issuance Guidelines, the participating laboratories must comply with natureplus’ specially developed procedures when testing products.
» Laboratory Testing Procedure (PDF)
» NPG-List (PDF)
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