ANSI/NSF 140-2007e Sustainable Carpet Assessment Standard58 Product Platforms Certified - Giving you hundreds of styles from which to choose!Now the only choice for the State of California!As of December 31, 2009, ANSI/NSF 140-2007e at the Platinum Level officially supersedes California Gold for all State of California government agency purchasing. ANSI/NSF 140-2007e The Sustainable Carpet Assessment Standard (NSF-140) is intended for commercial, hospitality, and similar carpets. Designers, facility managers, and government purchasers who want to ensure their purchases have the best sustainability performance should require NSF-140. Reliable third-party verification from reputable auditors such as Scientific Certification Systems (SCS), UL Environment, and NSF, International provides the confidence that your expectations are met. The State of California has assumed a leadership role in the creation of standards. Their California Gold Sustainable Carpet Standard was created to establish a method for State purchasers to ensure their purchases met the laws and sustainability objectives of the State of California. Closely modeled after the original Draft Standard NSF-140 2005, The California Gold standard incorporated several additional prerequisites and provisions that enabled California purchasers to meet all State guidelines and objectives. Those provisions have been incorporated into the finalized ANSI/NSF 140-2007e standard at its Platinum level of certification ensuring that the Platinum level also meets all California laws and objectives. As of December 31, 2009, all State carpet purchases must be certified to the Platinum level of NSF-140. See the DGS memo requiring this action. What Does This Standard Tell Me?The ANSI/NSF 140-2007e Standard evaluates carpets on five key attributes:
Within these five attributes, there are prerequisite and optional activities. For example, a requirement under the Public Health and Environment section is compliance with The Carpet and Rug Institute’s Green Label Plus Indoor Air Quality Program. All prerequisites must be met and are then awarded a point. Meeting the prerequisites alone is not sufficient to earn a Gold or Platinum Level of achievement. Credit must be earned above these prerequisites in the optional categories in order to reach these higher levels of achievement. Beyond the prerequisites in each category, there is no minimum point total for each category.
Certifications are completed by platform groups. Each platform will have a range of products or products lines with a high degree of uniformity in environmental and manufacturing characteristics. For example, Masland Contract’s Modular Tile certification includes the particular styles “Canvas”, “Molten”, and “Imprint”. These styles and the others in Masland Contract’s Modular Tile certification perform in a highly uniform and repeatable manner although the styling and coloration will vary greatly. Since the backing systems employed in these carpets are often the most environmentally variable component, carpets with identical backing systems are normally grouped together for certification purposes. Thus, occasionally one may see an advertisement stating that a manufacturer has received certification on a particular backing. A copy of the ANSI/NSF 140-2007 Standard is available for purchase Who are the CertifiersNSF, International
NSF is widely recognized for its scientific and technical expertise in the health and environmental sciences. Its professional staff includes engineers, chemists, toxicologists, and environmental health professionals with broad experience both in public and private organizations. NSF has earned the Collaborating Center designations by the World Health Organization (WHO) for Food and Water Safety and Indoor Environment. Serving manufacturers operating in 80 countries, NSF was founded in 1944 and is headquartered in Ann Arbor, MI USA. The NSF Mark is recognized for its value in international trade around the world and is respected by regulatory agencies at the local, state, and federal levels. Before providing certification services related to ANSI/NSF 140-2007e, NSF, International served as the standard developer for this project. The role of the standard developer is not to write or create the standard. Rather, it is (among many things) to manage to the progress of the independent Joint Committee, provide expert guidance on ANSI policy and guidelines, and then maintain the copyright on the completed document. Scientific Certification Systems (SCS)
Vision - To be a global leader in providing third-party environmental, sustainability and food quality certification, auditing, testing and standards development. Mission - To achieve this vision, SCS programs and services: 1) recognize the outstanding achievements of companies, institutions and organizations who are meeting the highest levels of performance in environmental protection, social responsibility, product safety and quality; and 2) stimulate continuous improvement on the path toward sustainability. In this undertaking, we employ a life-cycle framework, state-of-the-art science, proven analytical methods and performance metrics and professional expertise. Objectives - To accomplish our mission, our programs and services are oriented toward: 1) promoting management system certification, product certification, inspection, validation and verification in accordance with the applicable certification standards; 2) assisting industry and commerce to implement relevant systems and adopt practices that minimize impacts on human health and the environment; 3) delivering world-class assessment and certification services; 4) continually monitoring market situations and regulatory requirements; and 5) continually improving SCS services to meet multi-stakeholder demands. Core Values - SCS core values include, but are not limited to, integrity, commitment, excellence, transparency, superior technical competencies, environmental sustainability, social responsibility, caring for the community, client and customer focus, human rights and recruitment of the best possible people. Sustainable Product Certification
The Sustainable Product Certification service tests and certifies environmentally friendly products, processes and materials to current environmental standards. UL Environment participates in the development and maintenance of sustainability standards published by other standards development organizations and is developing additional standards as needed. Once testing is complete and a product is certified, information about it is included on our Database of Validated and Certified Products, an online tool that allows industry professionals, as well as consumers, to identify sustainable products by product category, company name, product name or type of claim. In addition, manufacturers receive documentation that allows them to begin using the Sustainable Product Certification Mark on their products per the terms of the standard of reference. Just as the UL Mark today stands for product safety, the Sustainable Product Certification Mark aims to be seen as the measure of product sustainability. California Gold - History and Purpose The California Gold Sustainable Carpet Standard was developed through a collaborative effort by members of California’s Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) Task Force, and was adopted by California’s Department of General Services by State Administrative Manual (SAM) Management Memo 06-08, on May 15, 2006. This action placed a requirement into the State Administrative Manual for all State Carpet Purchases to meet the Standard. The California Gold Sustainable Carpet Standard, was based on the Draft American National Standard for Trial Use, NSF 140 Sustainable Carpet Assessment Standard (Draft Standard), which was developed as part of the ongoing efforts of a number of interested parties to document and improve the sustainability profile of carpet and rug products using established and/or advanced scientific principles, practices, materials and standards. Stakeholders involved in developing the Draft Standard included carpet and rug manufacturers, end users such as interior design professionals, government agencies responsible for environmentally preferable product procurement practices, academics and non-governmental organizations. The Draft Standard successfully led to the finalized American National Standards Institute/NSF 140-2007e Sustainable Carpet Assessment Standard. All products certified to the Platinum level of ANSI/NSF 140-2007e now meet all purchasing laws and objectives regarding minimal recycled content, low emissions, and waste management for carpet in the State of California. The purpose of ANSI/NSF 140-2007e is to establish consistent requirements for sustainable carpet products. These requirements are intended to form the basis of conformity assessment programs, such as third-party certification or registration. Sustainable carpet products that comply with ANSI/NSF 140-2007e’s Platinum level are now recognized as the official requirement for all carpet purchasing by the State of California. ANSI/NSF 140-2007e was designed, in part, to satisfy the following criteria:
Purchases already in progress as of December 31, 2009 by State of California government agencies based upon California Gold Certifications may be completed but all new purchase contracts entered after that date must be based upon Platinum level certification to NSF-140. Characteristics of ANSI/NSF 140-2007e
|
 |
|
|
