Rise Approved Manufacturers are manufacturers of home improvement products who care about building a better future with products that benefit homeowner’s health, wealth, and/or planet. Millions of homeowners have come to use Rise as a litmus test for what makes good quality home improvement products and materials. With that trust comes responsibility to providing homeowners with the best options on the market that meet their increasingly stringent requirements. The following criteria are used in assessing and evaluating a company’s (and its products) qualifications in being featured as well as selling products on the buildwithrise.com website.
Rise is approved by The EEBA.
Company Criteria
Manufacturer/Supplier-specific attributes
- Does the supplier/manufacturer have certifications or registration (e.g. ISO 14001)?
- Does the supplier/manufacturer have an Environmental Management System (EMS) or environmental policy?
- Can the company verify all environmental claims?
- Does the supplier/manufacturer engage in voluntary environmental initiatives?
- Is the company producing the product in compliance with all environmental laws and regulations?
- What is the company's record in handling environmental and safety issues? Eg. Check Environment Canada's website for Canadian Environmental Protection Act violations within the past five years.
Social & Environmental Responsibility
- Where are the products made?
- Are employees provided with a safe and healthy work environment?
- If applicable, are any third-party audits performed?
- Does the company participate by way of time and/or money to social initiatives?
- Does the company participate by way of time and/or money to social initiatives?
Product Criteria
Planet
General Product/Material Benefits
- Does the product benefit the home’s water source?
- Does the product benefit the home’s air quality?
- Does the product benefit the cleanliness of the home?
Product Certifications
- Has the product/service been certified by an independent organization? If so, please list.
- Have unbiased studies of the environmental attributes of this product been completed?
- Are pre-established environmental standards available?
Waste
- Reduce
- Is this purchase necessary? I.e. does it create more problems than the one it solves?
- Can demand for the item be aggregated amongst multiple users?
- Can a service be used to meet the need?
- How much waste is generated by the product during its use and disposal? Can this waste be minimized? What is the cost of disposal arrangements?
- Is there any part of the packaging that needs to be sent to the landfill?
- Reuse
- Can the product be reused in perpetual cycles?
- Can a used or refurbished item meet the requirement?
- Can the product be disassembled for reconditioning and reuse?
- Recycle
- Can the item be recycled at end-of-life?
- Is the product packaging fully recyclable?
- Do appropriate local facilities exist for recycling?
- Does the company offer repair services?
- Does the supplier/manufacturer offer take-back programs for reuse or recycling? And can this be verified?
- Through its use, does the product reduce, reuse, and/or recycle other waste?
Recycled content & renewable resources
- Does the product include post-consumer recycled content?
- What type and what percentage of recycled materials does the product contain?
- Is the product made from renewable resources?
- Is the product reusable or does it contain reusable parts?
- Through its use, does the product help recycle content or make use of renewable resources?
Packaging
- Is packaging necessary to protect the product? Can the product be packaged in bulk if more than one is required?
- Is the packaging reusable or does it contain reusable parts? Is it recyclable?
- Can the packaging be returned to the supplier?
- Is the packaging made from renewable resources?
- Does the packaging material contain post-consumer recycled material?
Energy and resource efficiency
- Does this product make efficient use of resources and energy throughout its lifecycle?
- Is it made with resource-saving materials or processes?
- Does the product have any energy or fuel-saving features such as a "sleep mode"?
Embodied Energy
- Is Embodied Energy data available for the product?
- Has embodied energy data been declared with EC3?
Water Use and Responsibility
- Does the product contribute to a lower water use in your home?
- Does the product help the local water table (e.g. permeable pavers) or maybe:
- Does the product reduce strain on the local water system (e.g. rain barrels and reducing off-site drainage)?
Health
General Product/Material Benefits
- Does the product benefit the home’s water source?
- Does the product benefit the home’s air quality?
- Does the product benefit the cleanliness of the home?
Material Composition
- Does the product require Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)?
- Does the supplier offer a non-hazardous equivalent for this product?
- Does the product release VOCs and is there a suitable alternate that generates lower emissions?
- Where hazardous waste is involved, can a certified recycler be engaged to reclaim or recycle material?
Indirect costs
- What indirect costs are associated with the good or service (e.g. less energy-efficient IT equipment will produce more heat causing the building's air conditioning system to work harder and increase electricity costs)?
- Are additional administrative costs involved, such as WHMIS compliance?
- Has the product declared its contents via any of the following:
- - Declare
- - HPDC
- - Cradle to Cradle
- - Healthy Building Network
- - Environmental Product Declarations (EPD)
- - Other?
Wealth
General Product/Material Benefits
- Does the use/installation of the product directly result in energy savings for the home?
- Does the use/installation of the product directly result in water savings/efficiencies for the home?
- Does the use/installation of the product directly result in maintenance savings or cost of ownership savings for the home?
- Is the product competitively priced with other alternatives?
- Does the product have a long-term (greater than 10-year) warranty?
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