TCO Certified is a sustainability certification scheme for IT products. When preparing a product page or procurement file, the central task is to connect a specific model, product category, certificate status, verification record and claim wording. Broad statements about being “green” are not a substitute for that evidence.
1. Identify the certified object, not just the brand
The starting point is normally the product model and its category. Displays, notebooks, tablets, desktops, all-in-one PCs, smartphones and headsets may have product-specific criteria, while other IT products may use a general category document. Keep the relationship between brand, manufacturer, sales SKU, model suffix and configuration traceable. A brand-level statement that “the company has certification” does not establish that every product is certified.
A product page should identify its object, for example by stating that a named model appears in a TCO Certified record, subject to confirmation against the current official record and certificate. Do not turn a supplier report or a company’s participation into a claim covering every product.
2. Read the four areas as separate evidence questions
TCO Development describes the criteria across climate, substances, circularity and supply chain. Depending on the category and generation, the evidence may address energy and product lifetime, chemical management, repair and end-of-life design, production conditions and supply-chain responsibility. The applicable criteria and verification method must still be taken from the relevant category documents.
These areas should not be collapsed into broad claims such as “low carbon,” “non-toxic” or “fully compliant.” Each statement should identify the requirement, product scope and evidence type it relies on. If only part of the file has been checked, describe only that part.
3. Keep certificates, tests and verification records connected
Under TCO Development’s published process, an applicant selects the criteria relevant to the product category and works with an approved independent verifier for testing or document review. The file may include product test reports, environmental and social documentation, verification-of-conformity records and a certificate. Brand, model, configuration, manufacturing location and factory scope should match the certification object.
A practical evidence register should capture the model and version, category and generation, certificate number and status, verifier, test or review documents, supply-chain scope, permitted page wording and last verification date. Do not impose a universal rule that every report must be less than 24 months old; document validity and continuing obligations depend on the applicable criteria and certificate status.
4. Write claims that stay within the record
A defensible page can explain the scheme and its scope, list the verified model and certificate or Product Finder record, describe the relevant criteria by category, and flag configuration, generation, status or brand-use questions that remain open.
Avoid statements that certification guarantees customs clearance, marketplace retention, coverage of every model, zero risk, 100% compliance or a fixed approval timeline. TCO Certified also does not replace separate assessments for product safety, environmental, chemical or labeling requirements that may apply in a target market.
5. Pre-publication checklist
① Record the exact model, configuration, product category and generation; ② verify status through TCO Development’s official record or certificate rather than a supplier screenshot; ③ map testing, verification, environmental and supply-chain documents to the model scope; ④ check every page sentence against the evidence; ⑤ reassess after a model, configuration, brand owner, factory or evidence change; and ⑥ distinguish documentation review by 绿色方舟（深圳）认证有限公司 from the certification decision made by TCO Development.
TCO Certified criteria and certification records are maintained and updated over time. This article provides an evidence-review framework; it does not establish certification for any product whose model, documents and current status have not been verified.
