MSC Press Releases 2006

Mulch Industry Promotes
Improved Consumer Labeling

This spring millions of bags of garden mulch will be sold. To help typical homeowners know what they are buying, the Mulch & Soil Council has launched a national Product Certification Program to better inform consumers on mulch and soil products.

According to Council Executive Director Robert LaGasse, "Consumers need to be better informed about what they are buying and provided a means of identifying which products have accurate labels and are free of CCA-treated wood."

In 2004, the Council made a major push for industry standards for product labeling, testing and a prohibition on using CCA-treated wood. Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA) is a pesticide with high levels of arsenic used as a wood treatment to prevent deterioration of decks, fencing, picnic benches and similar outdoor structures. When CCA-treated wood is discarded, some municipal landfills and wood recyclers mulch it, in spite of the manufacturer's warning not to grind or mulch the material.

According to LaGasse, "The Council moved quickly to prohibit the use of CCA-treated wood in mulch, but we are not the government and cannot control what non-members do. The Product Certification Program was specifically designed to help consumers identify products that can prove they meet industry standards and do not contain CCA-treated wood."

Since the program started, over 250 garden mulches and soils have been certified nationally and are now subject to periodic inspection. The Council uses a national network of volunteers to collect product samples for testing. In addition to CCA contamination, certification testing also addresses issues like misbranded products, under-filled packages and misleading or exaggerated product claims.

Misbranded products are those whose package contents do not match the label. The most frequently misbranded products are specialty mulches like cypress, hemlock or "bark" mulch that were commonly blended with other products without informing the consumer. Those products must now be identified as a "mulch blend" and the product must display an ingredient label to inform consumers what other materials are included in the package.

Any products using recycled wood from consumer or industrial products must also identify "reprocessed wood" in their ingredients label. Reprocessed wood is more likely to contain CCA-treated wood than "forest products" that identify virgin wood materials.

A big boost was given to the Council's efforts since 2004 with the decision by several of the nation's leading lawn and garden retailers that mulch products must comply with industry certification standards. Approved products are identified by the certification logo on their bag and are listed on the MSC website at www.mulchandsoilcouncil.org.

To promote compliance with industry guidelines, a shortage in experienced plant personnel is also being addressed by the Council. A special training program will be held in February working jointly with the National Institutes of Standards & Technology (NIST) and leading mulch companies sharing their information to improve industry practices.

"We expect to open the 2006 gardening season with a full range of certified products offering consumers CCA-free mulch with reliable product labeling. We hope consumers will look for the MSC certification logo and support companies that are changing the industry for the better," says LaGasse.

For more information on the MSC Certification Program, visit the Council's website at www.mulchandsoilcouncil.org.

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Note to Editors: A copy of the MSC Product Certification Logo graphic is available on request. Contact certification@mulchandsoilcouncil.org