New MoU Between GECA and Eco Choice Aotearoa Showcasing saveBOARD's Sustainability Leadership

SYDNEY, Australia & AUCKLAND, New Zealand —On World Ecolabel Day 2024, GECA and Eco Choice Aotearoa are proud to announce a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two Global Ecolabelling Network (GEN) members. This agreement streamlines the certification process for companies seeking to demonstrate sustainability leadership in Australia and New Zealand. 

This MoU is designed to simplify certification for companies operating across the Tasman, offering a clear pathway for organisations to achieve ecolabels in both countries. The first company to benefit from this dual certification is Upcycled Building Materials Australia (saveBOARD), a pioneering circular economy business in the built environment. 

"Volunteering to have five products independently assessed against GECA's Panel Boards standard is an incredible achievement," said Josh Begbie, CEO at GECA. "Each product has undergone a transparent, independent, third-party assessment against science-based criteria relevant to its category. At GECA, we believe this hard work and dedication to transparency and accountability are transformative for the Australian and Aotearoa marketplaces."

With the MoU, businesses can secure GECA and Eco Choice Aotearoa certifications simultaneously or efficiently add the second certification, reducing costs and administrative complexity. This collaboration further cements the two lifecycle ecolabels' trans-Tasman commitment to sustainability and responsible production underpinned by GEN's rigorous standards. 

saveBOARD: A Circular Economy Leader

Known for its innovative building materials made from recycled content, saveBOARD champions the circular economy, diverting waste from landfill and reducing embodied carbon in the built environment. The company is also committed to ensuring the safety of materials used in its products and maintaining fair working conditions. 

As part of the certification journey, saveBOARD has achieved a lifecycle ecolabel that validates its strong sustainability claims. This dual certification simplifies the process for saveBOARD to expand its leadership across Australia and New Zealand, including involvement in projects such as Bega's Centre for Circularity in Victoria, where saveBOARD products are specified. 

"We're proud to be the first company to achieve this dual certification, showcasing our commitment to sustainable practices and providing specifiers with greater confidence in our products. Independent certification is essential to our business and demonstrates to our clients that they have a genuine choice in sustainable building materials," said Paul Charteris, Founder & CEO of saveBOARD. 

A Unified Approach to Sustainability 

GECA and Eco Choice Aotearoa are both members of GEN, the leading global network for lifecycle ecolabels. The MoU between these two organisations reflects their mutual recognition of each other's certifications as gold-standard ecolabels. Together, they are advancing sustainable business practices across the region by ensuring cohesive standards that benefit businesses, consumers, and the environment. 

"Through this MoU, we are making it easier for organisations like saveBOARD to demonstrate their leadership in sustainability on both sides of the Tasman. This collaboration supports our shared mission of promoting responsible consumption and production, particularly within the built environment," said Laura Gemmell, CEO at Eco Choice Aotearoa. 

As we celebrate World Ecolabel Day, GECA and Eco Choice Aotearoa invite businesses across Australia and New Zealand to explore the benefits of dual certification and join the movement towards a more sustainable future. 

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For more information on dual certification, please contact: 

• Josh Begbie (Chief Executive Officer at GECA) - + 61 2 9699 2850 |  josh@geca.org.au 
• Laura Gemmell (Chief Executive Officer at Eco Choice Aotearoa) - +64 21 609 768 | laura@ecochoice.org.nz