WFCA Develops Green Guide for Members

Anaheim, CA, April 23, 2008 --The World Floor Covering Association has developed a new guide that details exactly what products and services are green as the movement toward environmental construction and manufacturing continues.

Until now, no single document has been able to categorically reveal whether construction practices and products of flooring are environmentally friendly. Past and existing guides have widely varying degrees of third-party oversight and stringency, and many have been criticized as being manipulated by those who simply want a green "seal of approval" for marketing or public relations purposes.

The issue has further been complicated by the fact that there are different standards for commercial and residential construction and separate standards for renovations.

The WFCA-funded primer developed by Crowell & Moring LLP, provides an introduction to relevant green assessment programs so that WFCA members may better understand which of their products and practices may be characterized as environmentally friendly, said CEO Chris Davis of the WFCA.

"Armed with this information, members will be better able to capitalize on the demand for green products and communicate what is truly green to their customers," he said.

The guide is broken down into five sections: Section I focuses on the two most well-known rating systems the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) system and Green Globes. Section II identifies particular flooring-related products, installation practices, and waste management practices that can generate green points under these systems. Section III focuses on residential standards, particularly the new LEED for Homes system. Section IV provides guidance on how to verify that a particular flooring product meets green standards. Section V summarizes some of the possible benefits of being (and being recognized as) “green.”

It also describes sources through which a WFCA member can determine if tax credits, “energy-efficient mortgages,” and other benefits are available.

This primer is an exclusive WFCA-member benefit and is available only in the members secton of the WFCA professional web site www.wfca-pro.org.