Leveraging Your NSF Certification: Now that you've received NSF Certification ... why not leverage the Mark to your advantage.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 14, 2010
CONTACTS: Kelly Nichols
NSF International
Phone: 734-827-6850
Email: knichols@nsf.org
Caleb Ludwick
Mannington Commercial
Phone: 423-596-6597
Email: calebludwick@mac.com
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – NSF International announced today that Mannington Commercial is the first company certified to NSF’s new American National Sustainability Assessment Standard for resilient floor covering. Certification against this standard provides a means to evaluate the environmental performance and sustainability attributes of a range of floor products.
The new standard, NSF/ANSI 332 Sustainability Assessment Standard for Resilient Floor Coverings (NSF/ANSI 332), was developed to help the floor covering industry recognize and promote sustainable manufacturing practices. Mannington Commercial has met the environmental and sustainability criteria and provides proven assurance to the public regarding these products.
NSF/ANSI 332 establishes a point-based system in which manufacturers achieve one of four levels of certification: Conformant, Silver, Gold and Platinum. Mannington’s Inlaid and Premium Tile products has earned Gold level certification.
Six key criteria are used to determine when a product meets the NSF standard:
Mannington’s Premium Tile products are the only 25% post-consumer vinyl composition tile (VCT) in the industry. VCT and drywall are recycled from demolition and renovation projects to keep waste out of landfills. Mannington’s Inlaid and Premium Tile products are used in commercial healthcare, education and retail flooring and designed to bring long-term performance for installations that require lasting durability.
“These products are the first certified to the new standard, and we are already working on others,” said Dave Kitts, Mannington’s VP- Environment. “One of the benefits of the NSF standard is that everything is measurable, documented and proven. Sustainability cannot only be about good intentions, it must also include measurable indexes. Better products – meaning innovative, improved products with a smaller environmental impact – will become the rule rather than the exception. In order to truly change the way our industry thinks and manufactures’, actions must speak louder than words.”
“Mannington is the first to achieve certification under this standard, demonstrating their commitment to environmental stewardship,” said Petie Davis, Manager of NSF International’s Sustainability Services.
Mannington’s also has several environmentally-friendly carpet products certified to the American National Standard for sustainable carpet (NSF/ANSI 140). Similar to NSF/ANSI 332, this standard is based on a point system and address six criteria:
Based on the number of points earned, certification is issued in one of three levels – silver, gold or platinum. These accomplishments, in both hard and soft surface products, are also indicative of the company’s effective ISO 14001 environmental management systems.
Background on the Development of NSF/ANSI Standard 332: NSF led the development process of NSF/ANSI 332 for sustainable resilient flooring, bringing together flooring manufacturers, architects, academics, environmental program managers, state and federal agencies responsible for procurement practices, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The process is built upon scientific principles including the ISO 14000 series standards on Life Cycle Assessment and feedback. The standard was open for public comment and voting for two years before being approved earlier this year.
About Mannington: Mannington Commercial has distinguished itself as one of North America’s premier manufacturers of high quality floor covering designs for hard and soft surfaces. Its range of choices in both categories is unparalleled, and its sustainability platform is built upon innovative measures to improve closed loop recycling, reduce waste streams and reuse waste materials. Mannington stands upon a better business ethic, better products and a better world for the good of the people who create and use their commercial and residential products. http://manningtoncommercial.com.
About NSF International: NSF International, an independent, not-for-profit organization, certifies products and writes standards for food, water and consumer goods to minimize adverse health effects and protect the environment (www.nsf.org). Founded in 1944, NSF is committed to protecting human health and safety worldwide and operates in more than 120 countries. NSF is a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Food and Water Safety and Indoor Environment. Accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), NSF has helped develop sustainability standards for several building and furnishing products, including carpet and resilient flooring.
NSF International’s Sustainability Program focuses on three areas: product assessment, standards development, and process verification. Product assessments include testing and certification for sustainable products such as green chemicals and building products. NSF also develops standards for sustainability products such as carpet, flooring, and other commercial building materials. NSF International is a leading provider of process verification services, which include greenhouse gas verification, environmental footprinting, and environmental management systems registrations.
Additional services include education and training, safety audits for the food and water industries, dietary and nutritional supplement certification, management systems registrations (e.g. ISO 14001) delivered through NSF International Strategic Registrations and organic certification provided by QAI (Quality Assurance International).
