EcoMaterial

1. Review the EcoMaterial Standard: Download and study the current EcoMaterial standard (version 2.0) from the NBESR website to understand mandatory requirements and the 100-point performance scoring system applicable to your product category.\n2. Determine Product Eligibility: Confirm that your building or finishing material falls within the scope of EcoMaterial's material-specific evaluation framework and identify which functional category applies.\n3. Conduct a Pre-Assessment Gap Analysis: Compare your product's current formulation, production processes, and documentation against EcoMaterial's mandatory requirements and optional performance criteria to identify gaps.\n4. Prepare Environmental Documentation: Compile all required documentation, including raw material sourcing records, production process data, existing laboratory test results, safety data sheets, and any prior environmental assessments.\n5. Commission Laboratory Testing: Arrange for laboratory testing of your product by an accredited testing facility to generate the required analytical data on emissions, chemical composition, and other performance parameters.\n6. Submit Application to NBESR: Contact NBESR or EcoStandard group (the general auditor) to formally apply for certification, submitting your documentation package and test results for initial review.\n7. Undergo On-Site Audit: An independent third-party auditor will conduct an on-site inspection of your manufacturing facility to verify production practices, quality controls, and consistency with submitted documentation.\n8. Receive Certification Decision: If all mandatory requirements are met and a minimum score of 65 points is achieved, the EcoMaterial ecolabel is issued. Plan for annual renewal to maintain certification status.

EcoMaterial evaluates building and finishing materials across five core assessment areas, combining mandatory threshold requirements with a scored performance scale. Products must satisfy all mandatory requirements and achieve a minimum of 65 points out of 100 on the performance scale to earn certification.\n\nHuman Health Safety is a primary mandatory category, assessing chemical composition, emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), heavy metals content, and the absence of substances hazardous to human health. This is evaluated through accredited laboratory testing and review of safety data sheets.\n\nIndoor Environmental Quality examines the product's impact on indoor air quality, including emissions testing for formaldehyde, benzene, and other harmful compounds relevant to the product's intended use in interior environments.\n\nEnvironmental Impact covers the product's lifecycle footprint, including raw materials sourcing (responsible extraction, recycled content), production waste, and the presence of environmentally persistent or bioaccumulative substances.\n\nWater and Energy Efficiency evaluates whether the product's manufacturing process and functional performance contribute to reduced water and energy consumption, relevant to the product's functional category.\n\nDocumentation and Process Compliance reviews the manufacturer's environmental management practices, quality control systems, and traceability of raw material supply chains. The on-site audit verifies that actual production conditions match submitted documentation. The tiered structure also includes an "Absolute+" status for top-performing products that exceed standard thresholds across all categories.

EcoMaterial occupies a niche but meaningful position within Russia's green building and sustainable construction ecosystem. Administered by NBESR in partnership with EcoStandard group as the general auditor, it is one of the few independent, third-party product ecolabels specifically designed for the Russian and CIS construction materials market. Its relevance grew alongside Russia's adoption of green building rating systems such as GREEN ZOOM and the localized versions of BREEAM and LEED, where specifiers increasingly sought verified environmental product data.\n\nThe program is relatively small in scale compared to global ecolabels like Blue Angel or Nordic Swan, and its recognition is largely confined to the Russian Federation and CIS countries. It gained visibility through annual certification ceremonies at major industry events such as the ECOTECH forum, and the introduction of EcoMaterial 2.0 in 2017 marked a significant upgrade to the standard's rigor and scope. The "Absolute+" tier introduced at that time signals an ambition to recognize best-in-class performers and drive continuous improvement among certified manufacturers.\n\nDemand for the certification is tied closely to the health of Russia's green construction sector, which has faced headwinds from economic sanctions, geopolitical instability, and reduced international investment since 2022. The program's website activity appears to have slowed after 2017, raising questions about current operational status and the number of active certified products. Manufacturers with international ambitions may find that globally recognized labels such as Cradle to Cradle Certified or EPDs provide broader procurement acceptance, while EcoMaterial remains most relevant for domestic Russian market positioning.

EcoMaterial was established in 2010 by the National Bureau of Environmental Standards and Ratings (NBESR), a Russian nonprofit organization founded to combat greenwashing and promote credible environmental standards in the construction materials sector. The program was created in response to a proliferation of unverified "green" marketing claims on building products in the Russian market, with NBESR positioning EcoMaterial as a rigorous, independent alternative to self-declared environmental labels.\n\nThe standard underwent significant development over its first decade. Version 1.3 was in active use through 2017, when EcoMaterial 2.0 was launched at the ECOTECH'2017 forum — a major revision that expanded the scoring framework, introduced the "Absolute+" premium tier for exceptional performers, and strengthened requirements around indoor air quality and raw materials sourcing. Annual certification ceremonies held at ECOTECH became a flagship event for the Russian green building community, organized jointly by EcoStandard group and NBESR. The program's most active period of public visibility was approximately 2010–2017, coinciding with growth in Russia's green building sector and the Year of Ecology in Russia (2017).