Getting your products certified according to TCO Certified is an effective way of meeting the growing demand for more sustainable products and taking greater social and environmental responsibility. Our system for verification and continuous improvement helps you structure your work with sustainability and communicate your progress credibly.
You should start by reviewing the criteria, then sign a contract with us and contact an approved verification organization. The verifier will then test the product and review the social and environmental documentation. When all the documents and the product sample have been delivered to the verification organization, the certification process generally takes three to
Generally, the certification process takes between three and five weeks, once the product sample and all the documents have been delivered to the independent verifier. However, if this is the first time you apply for certification, be aware that several processes need to be in place and that implementation will take time. If you are
A certificate is valid for two years from the date of issue, with the option to extend for one year at a time. Once the generation of TCO Certified that your product model is certified to is no longer valid, the certificate will expire automatically, if it’s not upgraded to the latest generation.
For most product categories, a representative product sample must be sent to an approved verification organization for testing. The social and environmental documentation must also be reviewed by an approved verifier.
Compliance with criteria is always independently verified. Each year, accredited experts spend more than 20,000 hours on product testing and supply chain assessments. Verification includes product tests, factory audits, brand owner assessments, and follow-up. This solid process ensures fair competition and helps you communicate your sustainability progress credibly.
No. Audits must be independent, conducted by organizations accredited to ISO 17021 and carried out by SA8000 or RBA lead auditors who are APSCA certified. An independent party is considered to be a person or body that is recognized as being impartial of the parties involved, regarding the issue in question. After the audit, the
We’re driving change where it is needed the most by categorizing factories depending on risk and requiring audits more often in high-risk factories than in low-risk factories. Risk category 1 factories are audited every 12 months, while risk category 2 factories are audited every 24 months, and risk category 3 every 36 months. For details,
The brand owner must submit the following to an approved social verifier at one of the approved verification organizations:
We encourage you to use the TCO Certified brand in your communications related to certified products. The demand for more sustainable IT products is growing, and offering certified products will help you compete in this market.
Our brand book includes guidance on how to speak and write about TCO Certified and how and when