TCO Certified addresses greenwashing risks by requiring that all sustainability claims are independently verified and based on mandatory criteria.
All products certified according to TCO Certified must meet the full set of criteria for their category. Compliance is verified by approved independent organizations through product testing, factory audits, and documentation reviews. This ensures that claims are based on evidence, not self-declaration.
Verification is not a one-time check. Compliance is continuously monitored throughout the certificate’s validity period, with follow-up activities such as spot checks and re-testing. Any non-conformities must be corrected within set timeframes, and certificates can be withdrawn if criteria are not met.
The certification is developed in line with ISO 14024 (Type 1 ecolabels), which sets strict requirements for transparency, relevance, and independent verification. This framework is specifically designed to reduce the risk of misleading or unsubstantiated claims.