New Standard Assures Sustainability in Carpets

A Guide to Specifying Low-Impact Materials
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Advertorial courses provided by The Carpet and Rug Institute

Point System
While all carpets must meet certain prerequisites in each of the five categories, no minimum number of credits from any category is required for compliance. Instead, similar to LEED, once all prerequisites have been met, users may earn additional credit points toward multiple levels of achievement [See table below].

All credits have the same weighting or value toward compliance. To earn silver achievement level, products must earn at least 37 points; for gold achievement level, 52 points; and for platinum, 60 points The NSF140-2007 Gold/EPP and Platinum/EPP levels recognize superior performance.

 

LEVEL
POINTS REQUIRED
Silver
greater than or equal to 37 points
Gold
greater than or equal to 52 points
Platinum
greater than or equal to 60 points

 

Because consistency is key to NSF140-2007, specifiers can be assured that products were evaluated on a level playing field using the same criteria. An external auditor developed an accompanying workbook that spells out the methodology for all required calculations. "There was enough complexity that various manufacturers might interpret what was asked for in different ways," says Endrenyi. "The workbook stipulates ‘divide x into y' or whatever is called for. So we're all making-and being evaluated-on the same calculations."

Points are available in 5 different categories:

Public health and environment (possible 30 points)
This category contains various options to demonstrate that an organization is taking steps to minimize pollutants and energy use adversely affecting public health and environment.

  • Prerequisites (four points total; two prerequisite points; one platinum prerequisite point). Manufacturers are required to reduce or eliminate chemicals with potential adverse human health effects. One point is given for identifying the composition of raw materials including those identified in the standard as persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic. One point is awarded for documenting that persistent bioaccumulative toxins (PBTs) are not present at 0.1 percent or greater in the product. Also, while there are no polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in carpet, concerns by several stakeholders and the California phase out of PBDEs in all products dictated its inclusion. Thus, one point is earned for containing no polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). Minimizing indoor VOC emissions is a prerequisite for gold and platinum performance, and is accorded one point.

Additional points are available for reducing or eliminating other chemicals and for reducing specified life cycle impact areas, including global warming and fossil fuel depletion.

Energy and energy efficiency (possible 20 points)
This category documents energy used in carpet production, greenhouse gas emissions, and recognizes the use of renewable energy.

  • Prerequisite (one point). As a prerequisite, the manufacturer must document 100 percent of its electrical and thermal energy requirements. For onsite-generated energy, the manufacturer shall identify fuel type used; for off-site generated energy, percent renewable vs. non-renewable energy must be documented.

Up to 12 additional points can be earned for the percentage of the manufacturing facility's total production energy requirements that is derived from renewable energy and/or the percentage of energy reduction per square yard or per pound of product.

The manufacturer can earn up to 6 points based on the suppliers' usage of renewable energy. An additional point is awarded if the manufacturer documents reductions in green house gas emissions resulting from energy use.

Bio-based, recycled content or environmentally preferable (EPP) materials (possible 22 points)
This category requires progressively higher levels of bio-based, recycled content or EPP materials contained in a carpet product.

  • Prerequisites (three points total; two prerequisite points; one platinum prerequisite point). Two points are awarded for documenting the bio-based, recycled content or EPP materials of the product. Recycled content must be classified by post industrial/ pre consumer or post-consumer materials as defined by sources stipulated in the standard. Post-industrial/pre-consumer content receives one half the credit of post-consumer content.

A 10 percent post-consumer recycled content is a prerequisite for platinum achievement level and is awarded one point.

Beyond the prerequisite of inventorying of bio-based, recycled content and EPP materials, manufacturers are awarded points for increasing percentages of bio-based, recycled content and EPP materials. Manufacturers can earn the full 20 for a points feedstock composed of 100 percent bio-based or recycled content.

Manufacturing (possible 17 points)
This category encourages corporate wide environmental responsibility and achievements.

  • Prerequisites (six points total; three prerequisite points; three
    platinum prerequisite points). One point is earned for documenting a formal policy and Environmental Management System (EMS) and publicly declaring environmental targets, objectives and metrics pursuant to ISO 14001. An additional mandatory point is earned by reporting social indicator metrics, including labor practices and decent work conditions, human rights policies and procedures, and societal and community impacts. An additional mandatory point is earned for demonstrating the product meets applicable performance durability testing requirements. Qualifying for platinum status requires completing an actual Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) for the product platform undergoing assessment; three points are awarded.

Additional points are derived for a range of sustainable business practices from certifying its environmental management system to incorporating environmental components into product design and achievements in minimizing waste generation and reduction.

 

 

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Originally published in GreenSource.
Originally published in October 2007

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