Sustainable Carpet Standards47 Product Platforms Certified - Giving you hundreds of styles from which to choose!Which Standard is For Me?Generally speaking, the ANSI/NSF 140-2007 Sustainable Carpet Assessment (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) and NSF, International provide 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 140-2007 standard at its Platinum level of certification ensuring that the Platinum level also meets all California laws and objectives. In the ANSI/NSF 140-2007 standard, the ‘2007’ denotes the year of this version. The NSF-140 Joint Committee is scheduled to meet in late May 2009 to review the standard and evaluate its performance now that manufacturers have had a chance to certify to the standard. Should any changes be recommended, those changes will be incorporated into the standard and finalized in accordance with all applicable ANSI policies. The newest version of the standard will be noted appropriately. The most recently approved version of the NSF-140 will be used for products entering certification although products certified under previous versions will be valid until the end of their certification period. What Do These Standards Tell Me?Both ANSI/NSF 140-2007 and The California Gold Sustainable Carpet Standard evaluate 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 The California Gold Sustainable Carpet Standard may be downloaded for free 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 140-2007, 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. 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 140-2007 Sustainable Carpet Assessment. All products certified to the Platinum level of the finalized ANSI/NSF 140-2007 standard now meets 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 140-2007 and California Gold Sustainable Carpet Standard 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 140-2007’s Platinum level will be recognized as equivalent to the California Gold Sustainable Carpet Standard for the purposes of State purchasing. The California Gold Sustainable Carpet Standard and ANSI/NSF 140-2007 were designed, in part, to satisfy the following criteria:
Products certified to The California Gold Sustainable Carpet Standard will remain available for State Carpet purchases until further notice. After that time, only carpets certified to ANSI/NSF 140-2007 at the Platinum Level will be recognized as meeting State purchasing requirements. Characteristics of ANSI/NSF 140-2007
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