Sustainable Building Products

Furniture and Flooring Labels

Green Label

The Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) has established the Green Label program to test volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in cushion used under carpet.  This program helps the carpet manufacturer, installer and end user identify and select low-emission cushion to enhance indoor air quality.

Green Label Plus

The Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) has established the Green Label Plus program, an independent testing program that helps identify carpet and adhesives with low emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Green Label Plus is an enhancement to the CRI Green Label Cushion Testing Program. By selecting Green Label Plus carpet or adhesive, you are assured one of the lowest emitting products on the market, and you may be able to earn LEED, Green Globes, or Green Guide for Health Care points.

For more information, visit http://www.carpet-rug.org/commercial-customers/green-building-and-the-environment/green-label-plus/

SCS FloorScore

FloorScore is a certification for commercial and residential hard-surface flooring products and flooring adhesives. Developed by Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) in conjunction with the Resilient Floor Covering Institute, products must comply with indoor air quality and volatile organic Compound requirements set by California Section 01350, and meet rigorous quality management standards in manufacturing. Certification and documentation help products qualify for credits within the LEED rating systems. Certification is broadly recognized and accepted by sustainable building programs and building codes worldwide.

SCS also provide the following relevant certification services:

• Life Cycle Assessment and Environmental Product Declaration
• Recycled Content Certification
• Responsible Sourcing Certification
• BIFMA level®

For more information, visit http://www.scsglobalservices.com/floorscore

SCS Indoor Advantage

Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) Indoor Advantage and SCS Indoor Advantage Gold certifications demonstrate that products meet indoor air quality standards pertaining to emissions that may be harmful to human health and the environment.

SCS Indoor Advantage applies to furnishings and qualifies for the Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturer’s Association (BIFMA) furniture emissions standard, while SCS Indoor Advantage Gold certification applies to furniture plus a broader range of interior building materials such as paint, carpet, and insulation. Gold-level certification meets California Section 01350 IAQ standards for both residential and commercial application. Both certifications help products qualify for low-emitting material credits within the LEED rating systems.

For more information, visit  http://www.scsglobalservices.com/certified-indoor-air-quality

GREENGUARD

The GREENGUARD Environmental Institute aims to protect human health and improve quality of life by reducing people’s exposure to chemicals and other pollutants from products and materials made for indoor environments. As an ISO-IEC Guide 65:1996 accredited, third-party organization, the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI) certifies products and materials for low chemical emissions and provides a resource for choosing healthier products and materials for indoor environments. All certified products must meet stringent chemical emissions standards based on established criteria from key public health agencies. GREENGUARD Certification is broadly recognized and accepted by sustainable building programs and building codes worldwide.

For more information, visit https://www.ul.com/resources/ul-greenguard-certification-program

Environmental Product Declaration

The overall goal of an Environmental Product Declaration, EPD, is to provide relevant, verified and comparable information to meet various customer and market needs. The International EPD® System has the ambition to help and support organizations to communicate the environmental performance of their products (goods and services) in a credible and understandable way.  EPD declarations are often reviewed to determine the carbon footprint of items as part of the consideration to purchase.

Wood Product Certification

Forest Stewardship Council

There are several options for paper and wood product certifications. Included below is information on the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), and the Canadian Standards Association (CSA). In order to properly choose between the three options out there, purchasers are advised to ensure that whatever act, policy, guideline, or requirement is being followed is adhered to since each of these vehicles may specify which of the options are required.

Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an international non-profit membership-based organization that brings people together to find solutions to the problems created by bad forestry practices and to reward good forest management.

Under FSC certification, forestry companies are independently audited to meet the FSC's strict forest management standards. In an unbroken chain of commitment from forest to consumer, the FSC label carries the promise that a product comes from a forest-friendly source.

FSC-certified papers contain FSC-certified wood fibre from well-managed forests, post-consumer recycled content, or a combination of FSC-certified wood fibre, recycled content and other controlled forest friendly sources. All wood products that are FSC-certified contain wood from FSC-certified forests, controlled sources, or material that is 100% post-consumer reclaimed or recycled.

To display the FSC logo on letterhead, envelopes etc, it must be printed by a printer or a print broker that has an FSC chain of custody certification and be on FSC-certified paper. The following web site provides a list of FSC product manufacturers/brands of paper and wood products and a list of certified printers by province.

For more information, visit https://ca.fsc.org/

Sustainable Forestry Initiative

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI®) label is a sign you are buying wood and paper products from well-managed forests, backed by a rigorous, third-party certification audit. Learn more about how SFI Inc. is improving sustainable forest management in North America and supporting responsible procurement globally.

For more information, visit http://www.sfiprogram.org/

Canadian Standards Assocation                                                                                                                                                           

The Canadian Standards Association (CSA) worked with a diverse range of stakeholders interested in sustainable forest management to develop Canada's National Standard for Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) CAN/CSA-Z809.

Forests certified to the CSA SFM Standard provide independent 3rd party assurance of meeting a strict set of biological, environmental and social criteria. Recognizing that 95% of Canada’s forests are publicly owned, the CSA certification demands active public involvement by local residents. From coast to coast, approximately 40 public advisory groups are involved in frequent discussion each and every year with forest managers to continuously improve their performance.

Both the CAN/CSA Z809 and Z804 SFM Standards are endorsed by the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), the worlds largest forest certification organization.  PEFC recognizes national or regional certification standards that meet rigorous assessment requirements based on international criteria and indicators.

For more information, visit  http://www.csasfmforests.ca/