Contract - December 2013 - (Page 69)

Resources for Third Party Certification by Product Type Product Type Third Party Certification Website Adhesives & Sealants Carpet/Carpet Tiles Hard-surface Flooring Paints & Coatings Porcelain Tile Textiles Textiles & Wallcoverings Wood Greenguard Green Label Plus FloorScore Green Seal Green Squared facts Greenguard Gold Forest Stewardship Council greenguard.org carpet-rug.org scsglobalservices.com greenseal.org greensquaredcertified.com contracttextiles.org greenguard.org fsc.org are also voluntary and go a step further than Environmental Product Declarations because they address hazardous chemicals in products. Both Healthy Product Declarations and Environmental Product Declarations are important tools for designers to evaluate products that impact the environment and the health and wellbeing of their clients. Another resource for product evaluation is Pharos, a project from the Healthy Building Network that offers a transparent and in-depth database of information about what is really in building products, with comparative scores on environmental and health impacts. The Pharos materials and chemical library documents more than 20,000 chemicals and materials in a wide variety of products. This database is available for the analysis of chemical content, lifecycle analysis, VOCs, toxic content, manufacturing toxics, renewable materials, renewable energy, and reflectance. What is new in product offerings? New products are being introduced on a daily basis. Many companies are re-evaluating how they manufacture their products, placing greater emphasis on energy conservation, water recycling, and healthy chemical composition. More biobased products in hard-surface flooring, vinyl tile alternatives, wallcoverings, textiles, paints, and coatings are now available. Some of these bio-based products are made from sorghum grain-a common feed for swine-nettle weed, straw, sunflower seed hulls, wheat, corn, and soy. Manufacturers utilizing bio-based sources include TorZo Surfaces, Kirei USA, Camira Fabrics, and Carnegie Fabrics. Many manufacturers are shifting away from plastics such as PVC, as they are under greater pressure to provide alternatives. Bio-based plastics, as well as less toxic plastics such as polyurethane, are being used in textiles, wall protection, and furniture components. Disclosure of a given product's ingredients is increasingly being requested by architecture and design firms as more research is published documenting diseases related to PVC, BPA, and the plasticizer phthalates. Construction Specialties is one of the first manufacturers to disclose the chemical makeup of their products, such as with their Acrovyn wall protection. Traditional bamboo flooring has lost some of its luster, but new edge-grain, end-grain, and strand products are made from bamboo, coconut, and sugar palm trees. Durapalm by Top to bottom: Biobased Xorel by Carnegie Fabrics contains 60 to 85 percent plant-based content; Fusión Wood Panels by Architectural Systems Inc. are made with a mix of natural materials and reclaimed wine barrels for texture and dimension; Edge Grain Wood Flooring in Black Cherry by Kaswell Flooring Systems (detail view and installation at bottom) is made by utilizing waste from manufacturing other hardwood flooring materials. contract http://www.greenguard.org http://www.carpet-rug.org http://www.scsglobalservices.com http://www.greenseal.org http://www.greensquaredcertified.com http://www.contracttextiles.org http://www.greenguard.org http://www.fsc.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Contract - December 2013

Contents

Contract - December 2013