Tork Alcohol Gel Hand Sanitizer Earns Green Seal Certification

March 8, 2021 /3BL Media/ - Green Seal, the nation’s leading non-profit authority on safer and more sustainable cleaning and facility care products, announced today that Essity’s Tork Alcohol Gel Hand Sanitizer is one of two hand sanitizers in the marketplace to earn the coveted Green Seal certification.  

Green Seal screened 100% of the Tork® Alcohol Gel Hand Sanitizer product formula for carcinogens, reproductive toxins, skin irritants, phthalates, parabens and contaminants before awarding the certification. The product is also required to meet uncompromising performance standards, use ingredients that do not pollute waterways, and use environmentally preferable packaging materials. Detailed certification criteria is available here. 

“Receiving the first Green Seal hand sanitizer certification for our Alcohol Gel Hand Sanitizer is a testament to our industry-leading efforts to deliver safe, effective, and sustainable quality solutions to the marketplace,” said Brian Kincaid, Product Management Director at Essity. “This distinction, which comes at a time when hand hygiene has never been more important, reflects our unwavering commitment to improving well-being through innovative and sustainable products and solutions.”

Learn more about Tork Alcohol Gel Hand Sanitizer here. 

Independent verification by a trusted authority

Green Seal’s new hand sanitizer certification standard was created with input from public health and industry experts amid concern about toxic ingredients in hand sanitizers.   

With the COVID-19 pandemic spurring many first-time producers to enter the market, the FDA has warned consumers to avoid more than 200 hand sanitizer products due to incorrect formulations and high levels of hazardous ingredients including methanol (wood alcohol) and the contaminant 1-propanol. Meanwhile, even when properly formulated, hand sanitizers available in the U.S. can include hazardous ingredients linked to cancer, allergies, skin and eye irritation and other harmful health effects. 

“Formulating hand sanitizers with safer and more sustainable ingredients is vital for a product people apply to their skin dozens of times a day,” said Doug Gatlin, CEO of Green Seal. “There is a critical market gap right now where buyers know to beware of toxic or ineffective hand sanitizers but are hard-pressed to quickly and easily identify safer options. Green Seal certification gives consumers, purchasers and facility managers confidence that they are buying a hand sanitizer that has been independently verified to the highest standard for health, safety and effectiveness.”

Resources and expertise amid the COVID-19 pandemic

Green Seal’s hand sanitizer certification standard is part of the non-profit’s initiative to harness its expertise to provide products, services and guidance that help protect people from both COVID-19 and negative health impacts from toxic chemicals. 

• Green Seal Guidelines for Safer Cleaning and Disinfection for schools and workplaces have been adopted by commercial cleaning companies servicing more than 1 billion square feet of space and are referenced by leading green building organizations such as WELL. 
• SEIU 32BJ, the largest union of property service workers in the U.S., has partnered with Green Seal on COVID-19 training for its members. 
• More than 30,000 Green Seal certified products are used in offices, schools and homes each day, including cleaning products and hand soaps critical to de-contaminating buildings and protecting people. 

To learn more about Green Seal’s hand sanitizer leadership standard and Green Seal-certified products, visit www.greenseal.org/hand-sanitizers.

Media Contacts

Green Seal

Taryn Tuss, ttuss@greenseal.org 

Tork® 

Weber Shandwick

wswtorkcommercial@webershandwick.com

About Tork®

The Tork brand offers professional hygiene products and services to customers worldwide ranging from restaurants and healthcare facilities to offices, schools and industries. Our products include dispensers, paper towels, toilet tissue, soap, napkins, wipers, but also software solutions for data-driven cleaning. Through expertise in hygiene, functional design and sustainability, Tork has become a market leader that supports customers to think ahead so they’re always ready for business. Tork is a global brand of Essity, and a committed partner to customers in over 110 countries. To keep up with the latest Tork news and innovations, please visit: www.torkusa.com.  

About Essity

Essity is a leading global hygiene and health company. We are dedicated to improving well-being through our products and services. Sales are conducted in approximately 150 countries under the leading global brands TENA and Tork, and other strong brands, such as JOBST, Leukoplast, Libero, Libresse, Lotus, Nosotras, Saba, Tempo, Vinda and Zewa. Essity has about 46,000 employees. Net sales in 2019 amounted to approximately SEK 129bn (EUR 12.2bn). The company’s headquarters is located in Stockholm, Sweden, and Essity is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm. Essity breaks barriers to well-being and contributes to a healthy, sustainable and circular society. More information at www.essity.com. 

 About Green Seal

Green Seal® is a global nonprofit organization with a mission to transform the economy for a healthier, greener world. Since 1989, Green Seal has applied rigorous standards for health, environmental sustainability and product performance to its certification programs to empower better purchasing decisions. Today, the Green Seal certification mark is a universal symbol that a product or service meets the highest benchmark of health and environmental leadership. Visit greenseal.org or connect with Green Seal on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.