At GECA, we’ve been working hard at creating tangible solutions to celebrate best practice in the built environment for over 15 years. And as we are getting bigger and better in partnership with the leaders here in Australia, so are our products.

We are also working closely with the Infrastructure Sustainability Council of Australia (ISCA) to make sure there are great products to meet the needs of their much-needed and highly regarded tool, not only here in Australia but beyond.

To embrace this opportunity, GECA has been working on our cement and concrete standard which is set for release soon this year.  Cement and concrete are significant materials with significant impacts and they represent an ever growing sector. Read more from Kate here.

GECA is currently in the process of revising both of its furniture standards - click here to read about why we're doing this and what it could mean for you.

Consultation with the Technical Advisory Group is currently underway via email with confirmed participants. This first round of consultations will be followed by a face-to-face session with members of the TAG to review all feedback and resolve any issues raised. This process should only take around three hours and has been tentatively scheduled for 15 September in Sydney.

Following these discussions, GECA will prepare a draft version of the revised standards for further review and public comment. Read more.

GECA is pleased to be a supporting partner and exhibitor at this year's CleanScene event! Australia’s largest cleaning and hygiene event returns to the Sydney Showground on 6-8 September.

Hear from Kate Harris and Shaila Divakarla at a seminar on 7 September about why sustainable cleaning products belong in all industries, not just in 'green' buildings.

GECA licensees ekoWorx will be demonstrating their products at CleanScene, and we welcome expressions of interest from other GECA certified cleaning product manufacturers – you can join us as well! We'd also love to have samples of certified cleaning products that we can showcase at our stand on the day. Contact Paula for more information.

Coming to CleanScene? Register now for free.

Surface Coatings Association Australia (Inc.) caters for the scientific and technical employees of manufacturers and suppliers involved in the paints, epoxy coatings, printing ink and adhesives industries. Their 2016 conference will be held in Melbourne from 31 August - 2 September this year.

The theme for the conference is 'Performance Driven, Sustainability Focused' - how does sustainability shape the performance that we desire, both today and in the future? Come and hear Kate Harris speak about how we can go above and beyond business as usual. Read more.

The past month has been jam packed with events, and GECA are proud to have been a part of so many fantastic opportunities to connect with industry professionals and spread the word on sustainable products.

Kate spoke about what makes an ecolabel trustworthy at SEE Sustainable Experience (Sydney, July 21-23), a showcase of sustainable products for the building and construction industries. Our standards manager, Shaila, also brought her professional architectural knowledge to Slow Date a Sustainability Expert, which ran in conjunction with SEE and whose panel of experts collectively provided over 45 hours of free sustainability advice.

It was fantastic to see so many GECA licensees represented at Melbourne Indesign (Melbourne, 12-13 August)! Shaila spoke as part of a panel session discussing Design for the Public, examining how designing for the public can be different compared to designing for the private sphere.

This year’s Australasian Waste and Recycling Expo (Sydney, 10-11 August ) was a huge success. Kate spoke about the new Waste Services standard that GECA plans to create, and was also interviewed by Jon Dee, discussing how the ecolabel encourages Australian businesses to make sustainable product solutions from extraction to recyclability and stewardship.

AWRE worked with Landcare Australia to plant 174 trees at Flowerdale Landcare, Victoria, to rejuvenate an area damaged by summer bushfires. Of these 174 trees, 100 trees have been planted to reduce the footprint of their annual AWRE conference. Another 74 trees were planted as thank you gifts to the 74 speakers. You can read more about how Landcare can help your business below.

Landcare Australia supports the Landcare community by working with businesses to build partnerships that make a lasting difference to local environments and communities, while offering a range of commercial outcomes.

Landcare can help your organisation extend your commitment to sustainable practices through a tailored partnership that can reinforce your commitment to the environment, engage and support local communities and offer employee engagement opportunities, bringing your brand values to life.

Visit Landcare's website today to read more about the difference they can make to your organisation.

GECA is pleased to welcome two new licensees this month: Krystalshield & Shield Chemicals, and Cloudwalk! Their certified products demonstrate a commitment to lower environmental, health and social impacts.

There are plenty of newly certified products from our valued licensees this month:

• Sturdy Framac have added four new chairs and stools to their huge range of GECA certified offerings: the Poly Tulip stools, Lynx stool, Ecco chair and Tafe Lounge.
• Looking for carpet? Modulyss have expanded their certified range with Grind, Leaf (pictured), Moss and Willow.
• RIM Fabrics (Innova International) have added Metallica, a collection of lustrous metallic textiles suitable for screens, panels and work stations.
• Deb Australia have expanded their personal care product offerings with a new heavy-duty hand cleanser, dye- and perfume-free hand cleaner, lotion cleanser and 2 in 1 shower gel and shampoo.

Our Chief Operating Officer extraordinaire Barry Gordon is moving on from GECA. During his four years with the organisation, Barry was the "office glue" who kept all the finances, staff, clients and bookkeeping in order, and was the go-to person for licensing and administration enquiries, as well as being a fount of knowledge for all things GECA!

"We'd like to say a big thank you to Barry for all his commitment and loyalty to GECA over the last four years," said Kate Harris, GECA's CEO. "He has been a wonderful example of what GECA stands for as he has truly brought passion, processes and people together. It has been an honour to work with Barry and he will be missed."

We wish Barry all the best in his new endeavours and look forward to continuing to work with him in leading the way in the built environment.

We're welcoming two new members to the GECA team this month: Kim Andrews (right) and Sarah Sannen (left).

Kim joins GECA as Sustainable Development & Senior Account Representative. She represents GECA licensees, advocates for the uptake of sustainable products across multiple industries, and encourages sustainable product manufacturers to seek GECA certification. Kim has a background in sustainable materials and design and has previously worked with Sustainable Business Australia and as Design Coordinator for UNSW Foundation Studies.

Sarah joins GECA as our new Office & Administration Manager. She supports the GECA team by keeping the office functions running smoothly, managing general finances and ensuring that GECA’s administration systems are first class and audits are progressing smoothly. Sarah holds a double degree in economics and arts, with an environmental humanities focus, and has previously worked as a dance instructor, sales assistant, office manager and in the hospitality industry.

We can't get away from the fact that the modern world requires us to buy STUFF. However, we can make significant differences to the planet buy choosing carefully what we buy. Hear Kate Harris speak with Sue Reece of Barometer Radio Adelaide about how we can find our way through the market place to find the best sustainable products.