With the mix of green product claims in the marketplace today, it is increasingly important to be transparent about product, which is why Interface has adopted Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) as a communication tool.
EPDs are based on life cycle assessment and are like the ingredient and nutrition labels on food – instead of calories and percent of recommended daily allowances, an EPD shows the ingredients of products and the associated environmental impacts. Interface companies are the first carpet manufacturers in North America, and the first carpet tile manufacturers in Europe, to use EPDs.
They have expanded their commitment to EPDs by pledging to obtain third-party validated EPDs on all InterfaceFLOR and Bentley Prince Street products by 2012.
Verification and Certification
Interface realized that if they were to create a model for sustainability, their progress and results must have integrity. Third party verification and certification of the claims they make is critical. Interface supports consensus-based, multi-stakeholder developed, non-proprietary standards and participates in these types of processes whenever possible.
ISO Standards
ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is the world’s largest developer of standards, including ISO 14001, the international standard for environmental management systems, and ISO 9001, the international standard for quality management systems. All Interface facilities have been confirmed to conform to both ISO 14001 and ISO 9001.
CRI Green Label
The CRI Indoor Air Quality Green Label program is the industry’s most widely recognized test protocol for evaluating total volatile organic compound (TVOC) emissions for carpet, carpet padding, and adhesives. All products manufactured by Interface’s InterfaceFLOR and Bentley Prince Street meet or exceed the requirements of the CRI Green Label test protocol for carpet.
Sustainable Carpet Assessment Standard
NSF 140-2007, the Sustainable Carpet Assessment Standard (SCAS), is a certification system that establishes performance requirements for economic, environmental and social impacts throughout the supply chain. It is the only carpet sustainability standard in North America that evaluates the environmental impacts of carpet over the entire life cycle of the product.
Interface Certified Products
NSF/ANSI 140 Platinum
– All InterfaceFLOR products in North America with GlasBac®RE backing
– All Bentley Prince Street products with High PerformancePC backing
NSF/ANSI 140 Gold
– All InterfaceFLOR products in North America with GlasBac or NexStep® backing
– All InterfaceFLOR products in Thailand with GlasBac®RE backing
– All Bentley Prince Street products with NexStep Cushion or Prestige PlusRC backing
NSF/ANSI 140 Silver
– All InterfaceFLOR products in Thailand with GlasBac backing
See Interface’s product sites for information on regionally relevant standards and certifications.
© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.
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