NSF Finalizes Standard for Resilient Products

Ann Arbor, MI, April 28, 2010--NSF International said it has developed a new sustainability standard for resilient floor coverings.

The new NSF American National Standard 332: Sustainability Assessment Standard for Resilient Floor Coverings has been finalized under the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and can now be used to certify the sustainability attributes of resilient flooring.

As products with sustainability claims continue to enter the market, certification of these products to national standards allows specifiers and purchasers to make better decisions when selecting products such as floor coverings.

The standard provides a means for designers, architects, facility managers and purchasers to evaluate the sustainability of a range of products, including vinyl composition tile, sheet vinyl flooring, vinyl tile, rubber sheet flooring, rubber tile, linoleum sheet flooring, linoleum tile, polymeric flooring, resilient wall base and resilient stair treads.

The standard uses a point-based system in which manufacturers achieve one of four levels of certification: conformant, silver, gold and platinum. Products are evaluated against the standard using five key criteria: 1) product design, 2) product manufacturing, 3) long-term value, 4) corporate governance and 5) innovation.

“We believe NSF/ANSI 332 will promote the greater use of sustainability practices in the manufacture of resilient flooring while also bringing more transparency and clarity to the sustainability process,” said Dean Thompson, president of the Resilient Floor Covering Institute, which was involved in the development of the standard.

NSF led the development process of the standard, bringing together flooring manufacturers, architects, academics, environmental program managers, state and federal agencies responsible for procurement practices, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.