Company continues to accelerate impactful innovation in product transparency reporting by integrating environmental performance and material health information into product marketing

Cambridge MA – Feb 25, 2015 – Sustainable Minds®, a B2B cloud provider of environmental product transparency applications, services & data, introduces the 2015 SM Transparency Report™ Framework and Program bringing major advancements to the entire process of creating and delivering product transparency reports. Sustainable Minds (SM) will introduce the 2015 Program to manufacturers and industry stakeholders on Tuesday, March 3, 2015, 2:00pm EST.
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Since its inception, the goals of the SM Transparency Report Program have been to reduce creation time and cost while increasing the usefulness of the reports to drive greener decisions by making environmental performance information understandable and meaningful. Based on the knowledge that better design makes the complex clear, systems thinking and customer experience are at the core of all Sustainable Minds’ products and services.

Communicating product performance with SM Transparency Reports goes beyond other types of environmental product declarations (EPDs) that exist today. They bring together functional performance with scientific environmental performance data made understandable, and provide manufacturers the opportunity to describe what they’re doing to improve performance. Delivered in the cloud in a 3-page, manufacturer-branded format, Transparency Reports are easy to find and the data can be updated and reused. The result is a next-gen marketing tool, compliant with existing global standards and green rating system requirements.

“It’s time for environmental performance and material health reporting to achieve real scale,” said Terry Swack, Founder & CEO of Sustainable Minds. “For that to happen, the value proposition for manufacturers must become more obvious, the process more flexible and the deliverables more useful. 

The flexibility and usability of the 2015 SM Transparency Report Framework & Program offers something for all manufacturers – whether they’re just getting started or they’ve already begun reporting. The Program introduces three key advancements:

1. The ability to create an SM Transparency Report using any PCR in any industry. Manufacturers will now have a choice about how to deliver on product transparency. The 2015 Transparency Report Framework & Program streamlines the process of creating new PCRs and for improving and harmonizing existing ones. It provides for open and flexible participation by all stakeholders and interested parties by:

   • Enabling harmonization with other PCR programs and as standards evolve

   • Offering a path to continual improvement as stakeholders engage and markets evolve

   • Inviting manufacturers, industry associations and program operators to run a consensus process to initiate a Part B, product group definition (PGD), the simplest, most cost-effective and product group specific PCR process available. We invite you to review and comment on the 2015 Framework and Governance documents >

2. New Transparency Products Sustainable Minds’ new additions are extensions of our flagship Transparency Report.

   • EPD Overview. For manufacturers to better utilize existing environmental product declarations in marketing.

   • Material Health Overview. Standalone or add to a Transparency Report or EPD Overview for a comprehensive view of what’s in a product and why; material ingredient analysis method agnostic.

3. Brand Showroom. Manufacturers who have invested in product transparency are now challenged with integrating that investment into product marketing. They have hundreds if not thousands of sales reps, distributors, partners, prospects and customers to onboard and train to use the information to inform greener decisions. They all want to understand what it means!

   The Brand Showroom provides a single place for a manufacturer to present and deliver branded and integrated product transparency information. Each Brand Showroom is part of the SM Manufacturers’ Showroom, a public destination for brands across the value chain to get visibility for credibly greener products and to connect buyers and sellers.

   • Branded & integrated product transparency information – all in one place

   • Manage, link to, reuse, update and distribute through the cloud – freely accessible to all

The value for manufacturers to provide environmental information about products is to build a credibly greener brand by demonstrating they understand their products’ environmental impacts. Truth builds trust, trust builds powerful brands and trusted brands create preference and value for their companies. Read the blog: From ‘disclosure’ to brand value: Integrating product transparency into product marketing >

TOTO USA has been demonstrating market leadership with SM Transparency Reports for select high-efficiency commercial products, showcasing 15 products across four categories.

“At TOTO USA, we know that design professionals and project stakeholders are looking for products with third-party verified environmental information to specify in their green building projects. Often, this information is overly technical and difficult to interpret. Using Sustainable Minds Transparency Reports, TOTO’s life cycle assessments (LCAs) results and environmental declarations are presented in a concise, easy-to-read and understand manner. Sustainable Minds helps TOTO communicate our commitment to, as well as what we’re doing, to produce environmentally preferable products,” said Jason Fitzsimmons, VP of Sales, TOTO USA.

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The SM Transparency Report Program is the first comprehensive solution for manufacturers to design and market greener products. Join us to learn about how to inform greener product decisions, drive continual environmental improvements and build a credibly greener brand.
Watch the recorded webinar >
Sign up for our next webinar >

Sustainable Minds collaborates and partners with LCA providers, verifiers & certifiers to make Transparency Products available. You’ll want to attend if you are a:

• Product manufacturer
• LCA or material health practitioner
• Program operator, verifier or certifier
• Purchaser or specifier of greener products