Certification for products that last, can be repaired, and are safe for people and the planet.
The Sustainable Integrity Certification Association (SICA) is an independent nonprofit. We check products against strict, science-based standards and publish every decision. When the science is uncertain, we err on the side of safety.
- Pillars every product is checked against
- 5
- Safety tiers for materials
- 4
- The most of our income any one company or donor can provide
- 5%
SICA Certification
Sample product assessment
Pillar Result
Plus option Result
Certification level
Gold
4 of 5 pillars met.
Mission & vision
Better products for people and the planet.
We certify products against science-based standards: how long they last, how easily they can be repaired, what happens when they are thrown away, whether their materials are safe, and how much energy and resources they use. Our goal is a world with less waste and fewer toxic materials, where it is easy to choose products that are built to last.
The problem we are solving
- Products are designed to be thrown away or to break early, creating huge amounts of waste.
- Vague green claims make it hard to know how sustainable a product really is.
- Companies make repair hard with special parts and software locks.
- There is no single, open sustainability standard that works the same everywhere.
Locked to our mission
Our money and decisions always serve the public.
SICA exists only for charitable, scientific, and educational purposes, and no one profits from it personally. If SICA ever closes, its assets go to nonprofits with the same aims, so the certification mark stays protected.
- Where we work
- Chapters and approved test labs worldwide
- What we do
- Write, enforce, and protect strict standards
Core values
- Scientific Integrity
- Every decision is based on peer-reviewed science. When the evidence is not clear yet, we choose the safer option.
- Independence
- Limits on how much any one source can pay us, public conflict disclosures, and an independent board mean no manufacturer can sway a result.
- Transparency
- Our standards, decisions, audits, and board records are public, so anyone can check how certification works.
- Rigor & Consistency
- A pillar is either met or not, with no partial credit, and the rules are the same in every country.
- Accessibility
- Lower fees for smaller companies, hardship waivers, and practical help mean organizations of any size can get certified.
- Continuous Improvement
- We update our standards at least every three years to keep up with new science, safer materials, and better designs.
Five pillars
Each pillar is either met or not.
There is no partial credit: a product only gets a pillar if it fully meets it. Meeting all five earns Platinum, and Copper is for companies taking their first step.
Longevity
Built to last for decades, not designed to fail early.
- Durability tests, including tests that simulate years of use
- Spare parts available for 15 to 30 years
- Parts can be upgraded, and the ways it could fail are documented
Repairability
Easy to fix with standard tools, free manuals, and fairly priced parts.
- Free repair guides and parts diagrams
- No locked parts, and repairs never void the warranty
- A score of at least 7 out of 10 on the SICA repairability index
Sustainable Disposal
When it wears out, it breaks down safely or every material is recovered.
- Compostable, harmless, or fully recyclable
- The manufacturer takes back complex products
- No microplastics, no toxic runoff, and no recycling into lower-quality materials
Environmental Safety
Made only from materials proven safe, with every supplier disclosed.
- Toxic chemicals such as PFAS and BPA are banned
- Every material listed, safe working conditions, and the full environmental impact assessed
- Materials without long safety records can only reach lower levels
Efficiency
Uses as little energy, water, and material as possible, from manufacture to disposal.
- Among the top 10% for energy use in its category, or designed to need little or no energy
- Less packaging, and the energy used to make it is measured and reduced
- Runs on renewable power and uses very little power on standby
Material tier system
Companies have to prove their materials are safe. We sort every material into a tier based on how long it has been studied and what the science shows about its effects on health and the environment. Materials with less evidence limit the highest level a product can reach, until more research shows they are safe.
| Tier | What it means | Highest level | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 Fully Certified Materials | More than 50 years of data show they break down safely and do not cause cancer or disrupt hormones. | Can reach Platinum | Examples: Untreated wood, natural fibers, glass, iron, copper, ceramics |
| Tier 2 Provisional Materials | Used for 10 to 50 years with good results so far. Companies must keep tracking them and share what they find. | Up to Gold | Examples: Silicone, bioplastics, engineered wood with listed glues |
| Tier 3 Restricted Materials | Known concerns. They must be sealed in, used only in certain ways, and handled carefully at the end of the product’s life. | Up to Silver | Examples: Some plastics if fully sealed in, treated wood, composites |
| Tier 4 Non-certifiable Materials | Proven to be toxic or to linger in the environment. Products containing them cannot be certified. | Not allowed | Examples: PFAS, BPA, PVC, lead paint, most common plastics |
Certification
An independent check in five steps.
Certification usually takes three to nine months, depending on how complex the product is. Decisions, penalties, and appeals follow fair, written rules set out in our bylaws.
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Application
The company lists every material in the product, explains how it is made, and pays a fee based on its size.
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Technical Review
Our scientists check the paperwork, arrange independent lab tests, and visit sites when needed.
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Pillar Scoring
Each pillar is marked as met or not met. The materials used can limit the highest level the product can reach.
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Decision
Our staff award a level from Copper to Platinum, publish the results, and add the product to the public database.
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Monitoring & Appeals
Companies report every year, we run surprise audits, and an independent panel hears appeals.
Certification levels
The number of pillars a product meets decides its level.
| Level | Pillars met | What it takes |
|---|---|---|
| Platinum | 5/5 | All 5 pillars, using only Tier 1 materials. |
| Gold | 4/5 | 4 pillars. Tier 2 materials are allowed if disclosed. |
| Silver | 3/5 | 3 pillars. Tier 3 materials are allowed with restrictions. |
| Bronze | 2/5 | 2 pillars. The company must follow an improvement plan. |
| Copper | 1/5 | 1 pillar. An open first step for early adopters. |
Plus: certified shipping or assembly
Any level can add Plus, such as Copper Plus or Gold Plus. A product earns it when the company offers to deliver or assemble it using only vehicles and tools that are themselves Platinum certified. Customers must be able to choose this option, but they do not have to use it. Almost no vehicles could meet Platinum today, so Plus is a goal for the future.
Fair enforcement
Companies that break the rules can be warned, suspended, lose their certification, or be banned. Every penalty is made public, and appeals are decided within 90 days.
Governance
A board that protects the mark.
The Board of Directors sets strategy, approves spending over $100,000, hires the executive director, and approves new standards. It never decides whether a product is certified. Our technical staff make those decisions, which avoids conflicts of interest.
Meetings. The board meets every quarter, holds an annual meeting within 120 days of the end of the financial year, and can be called together by the chair or any five directors.
Board and committees
- The board (15 to 21 members)
- At least a third are independent experts, no more than a fifth come from industry, and at least a fifth represent different regions.
- Independence rules
- The chair must be independent, 60% of directors can have no financial ties to companies that apply, and everyone discloses conflicts every year.
- Committees
- Five permanent committees handle day-to-day oversight: executive, audit and finance, nominations and governance, the Scientific Advisory Council, and the Standards Committee.
- Scientific Advisory Council
- 9 to 15 experts in fields such as toxicology, environmental science, materials engineering, and public health. They decide which tier each material belongs in, review new research, and advise on priorities. Members cannot have conflicts of interest and are only reimbursed for expenses.
- Standards Committee
- 11 to 17 members, including technical experts, industry, advocates, regional representatives, and board members. They write the standards, collect public comments for 60 days, revise them, and need a two-thirds vote before the board gives final approval.
Safeguards
- Income limits
- No single company or donor can provide more than 5% of our yearly income. At 4%, the board reviews it and may pause new applications from that source.
- Conflict of interest rules
- Directors, officers, staff, contractors, and advisors must disclose conflicts and step aside from related decisions, and the rules are enforced.
- Separate decisions
- Only technical staff decide on certifications. The board sets policy, and appeals go to independent panels.
- Public accountability
- Violations, penalties, finances, and meeting minutes are posted online for anyone to see, apart from private board sessions.
Fees
Clear fees, with no single funder in control.
We keep 6 to 12 months of running costs in reserve, are audited every year, and report to the board every quarter. Fees depend on company size and product complexity, and no single funder pays enough to influence us.
| Fee | Terms |
|---|---|
| Application fee | From $750 for the smallest companies to $100,000 for the largest. Covers up to five products. |
| Yearly certification fee | $750 to $10,000 per product, depending on its level and complexity. It pays for monitoring and the public database. |
| Using the SICA logo | Optional. $500 to $10,000 a year to use the SICA mark in marketing, with guidelines and marketing support. |
| Plus designation | Optional. $750 to $12,000 a year, depending on company size, to check delivery and assembly records and confirm every vehicle and tool used is Platinum certified. |
| Testing and inspections | Site visits cost $2,000 to $15,000 plus travel. Lab testing for safety, durability, efficiency, and repairability is charged at cost plus 10%, with the estimate agreed upfront. |
| Volume discounts | 10% off yearly fees for 6 to 10 products, rising to 30% off for more than 100 products. |
| Penalties and appeals | Late reports cost $500 plus $100 for each week overdue. An appeal costs $5,000, refunded if you win. A failed audit that needs another inspection is charged at cost plus 25%. |
Payment terms
Application fees are due when you apply. Yearly fees are due within 30 days of certification, and testing or inspection bills within 30 days. Bills over $10,000 can be paid in installments over up to 12 months.
Help with fees
- Lower-income countries
- 50% off fees for organizations in low and lower-middle income countries.
- Social enterprises
- Certified B Corps and other mission-driven companies get 25% off yearly fees.
- Hardship waivers
- Fees can be waived case by case, for up to 5% of certifications, when a company shows real need and commitment.
Transparency
Everything we do is public.
We publish every standard, financial statement, certified product, violation, and board decision, so anyone can check our work. We only keep trade secrets, pending applications, and legal advice private.
For shoppers. A free website lets you scan a product’s QR code to see its certification record, file a complaint, and read every requirement in plain language.
- Open standards library
- All our standards, testing methods, and the reasons behind each material tier can be downloaded for free.
- Certified product index
- A free, searchable list of every certified product, with QR links, its level, and a summary of the evidence. Search certified products
- Financial and board reports
- We publish our yearly budgets, audits, board members, and committee minutes, so anyone can see we manage money responsibly and follow nonprofit rules.
- Whistleblower channel
- Anyone can report a hidden conflict of interest in confidence, and they are protected from retaliation.
Our founding documents
These public documents set out how SICA works.
- Articles of Incorporation Sets out SICA’s charitable purpose, the promise to always serve that purpose, who sits on the board, and the rules that keep our science independent.
- Bylaws Explains what the board does, how long members serve, how they can be removed, and the committees that keep certification decisions independent.
- Mission & Values Our vision for products that last, can be repaired, and are safe, plus the five pillars and what we promise shoppers, manufacturers, and the planet.
- Conflict of Interest Policy Who must disclose what, which relationships are not allowed, and how breaches are handled, so no one can sway a certification.
- Fee Schedule Every fee, from applying to yearly certification, inspections, and logo use, plus discounts and limits on how much income any one source can provide.
- Certification Standards Framework How products are scored on the five pillars, how materials are sorted into safety tiers, and how the public can comment on new standards.
Want to get your products certified?
Start by listing every material in your product and checking which tier each one is in. Then get in touch, and we will explain the timeline, testing, and fees for your products.