Dalton, GA, June 13--C&A Floorcoverings (C&A), a Tandus company, announced Monday that it has earned Environmentally Preferable Product (EPP) certification for ethos Cushion 100 Roll Goods, a high recycled content, cushion backing for six-foot broadloom carpet.
In addition the company renewed the EPP certification initially earned in 2004 for its entire line of ER3(R) modular carpet and ER3(R) six-foot structured back broadloom.
"Without question, the market demand for sustainable design practices is increasing exponentially every year. Unfortunately, this otherwise positive direction has encouraged the proliferation of unsubstantiated or ambiguous marketing claims about the environmental characteristics of products," said Mac Bridger, CEO of Tandus.
"Third-party certification of our products and processes not only assists our customers in making informed decisions about the true environmental attributes of building materials, but it can be included in specifications as a part of the product evaluation and submittal process."
Working closely with Scientific Certification Systems (SCS), an internationally respected, neutral third party testing and certification organization dedicated to evaluating a wide variety of environmental and food safety claims, C&A pioneered the use of third-party certification for the floorcoverings industry in 2000.
"We first engaged SCS more than five years ago. Since then, SCS has analyzed and certified the recycled content values of C&A's entire ER3 modular and cushion roll product offerings, ethos Cushion 100 Roll Goods as well as verified our recycling operations and the recyclability of these products," said Bridger. "Since then, SCS has conducted ongoing assessment and analysis of C&A products and on-site audits of C&A's recycling and manufacturing operations."
"The EPP certification program is designed to recognize outstanding environmental performance and encourage continuous improvement by manufacturers," said Kirsten T. Ritchie, PE, Director, Environmental Claims Certification for SCS. "C&A has increasingly sought third-party certification for a widening array of products. They should be commended for their actions."
In a separate effort, C&A is also the first carpet manufacturer to receive certification from SCS regarding the volatile organic compound (VOC) content of several primers, adhesives and water-based seam sealers. The certifications verify that C&A's products meet LEED(R) Credit 4.1 for low-emitting adhesives and sealants.
SCS offers a certification program for Environmentally Preferable Products and Services to address the growing demand for products that have the least impact on the environment. Program development followed Executive Order 13101, "Greening the Government through Waste Prevention, Recycling, and Federal Acquisition," which directs federal agencies and their contractors to identify and purchase products designated as "environmentally preferable."
SCS has used a combination of resources including ISO 14024 Principles and Procedures for Type I Environmental Labeling, EPA's Federal Guidance on Environmentally Preferable Purchasing and ASTM E2129 Data Collection for Sustainability of Building products to guide the development of the environmentally preferable specification for carpet.
The specification is designed to address all key stages of the product lifecycle and incorporate environmental and human health issues relevant to the category, while at the same time provide a flexible framework that recognizes and accommodates the wide range of materials, locations, energy sources, production systems, performance requirements, and corporate initiatives involved in the production of carpet today.
