ETIRA exposes certification misuse
October 2, 2024
ETIRA challenges misleading use of conformity certificates to win government tenders.
The European Toner and Inkjet Remanufacturers Association (ETIRA) has formally lodged a complaint with the International Testing and Certification body (ITC SRL) concerning Italian company Ecoservice. According to ETIRA, Ecoservice misrepresented a certificate of conformity, originally issued for a life-cycle assessment (LCA) project, by presenting it as an official ecolabel to gain an unfair advantage in government tenders.
The certificate in question, ETIRA claims, was never intended to function as a product or environmental certification. Instead, it merely conformed to an internal ITC document (ITC/03/23), which is closely tied to Italy’s “Criteri Ambientali Minimi” (CAM) standards. CAM outlines the minimum environmental criteria required for public procurement and aims to ensure sustainable product sourcing in government contracts. ITC confirmed that this certification, despite its link to CAM requirements, was not an official ecolabel or product certification. This acknowledgment from ITC reinforces ETIRA’s concerns about the misleading nature of Ecoservice’s actions.
ETIRA said: “Public tenders in Italy, a common platform for the procurement of remanufactured cartridges, often stipulate the need for Class 1 ecolabels. This requirement, while promoting sustainability, has inadvertently fostered a culture of misuse by many companies, including ECOService.” Adding: “ For the last 3 years, ETIRA has brought to light instances where resellers, in a bid to meet these demands, have presented counterfeits or new products labelled as remanufactured in their offers to tenders.”
ETIRA has expressed that such misrepresentation distorts fair competition and undermines the credibility of legitimate businesses that genuinely meet environmental and sustainability standards. As a result, the association has urged ITC to take immediate corrective measures to prevent future misuse. In addition, ETIRA is revisiting its certification procedures to prevent similar instances from occurring.
This complaint is part of ETIRA’s larger mission to promote transparency and high environmental standards within the imaging supplies sector, ensuring that government procurement decisions are based on genuine compliance with sustainability goals.
Categories : Around the Industry
Tags : Certifications Ecoservice ETIRA ITC SRL
