Introduction
Designers and facility managers are playing an increased role in reducing the environmental impact of the building industry by specifying products with a lesser or reduced effect on the environment. Fortunately, they now have more resources at their disposal than ever before. A relatively new standard, for Environmentally Preferable Product (EPP), now provides a more comprehensive evaluation of the total environmental impact of products and services.
Policy Foundation
The EPP standard, developed by Scientific Certification Systems (SCS)—a leader in the certification of environmental claims, is based on a solid policy foundation which includes Executive Order 13101 and the EPA Final Guidance on Environmentally Preferable Purchasing.
In September, 1998, then President Clinton signed Executive Order (EO) 13101, directing federal agencies to practice Environmentally Preferable Purchasing. The order calls for the use of products and services “that have a lesser or reduced effect on human health and the environment when compared to other products that serve the same purpose.”
Subsequently, the EPA has taken an active role in further defining Environmentally Preferable Purchasing. In part, the EPA website directs agencies to:
- consider multiple environmental attributes over the full life-cycle of the product or service
- look at product performance as one of the most important considerations
- share information
- minimize waste and pollution
- make EPP considerations a routine practice
The EPP standard also references FTC Guidelines and ISO-14021 and ISO-14040 standards. To determine whether products merit the EPP label, SCS uses a combination of techniques, including the Life-Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) approach (defined in ISO-14042) and the guidelines outlined in the EPA’s Final Guidance on Environmentally Preferable Purchasing, issued in August 1999. To ensure thoroughness and impartiality, EPP standards developed by SCS are peer-reviewed by industry, science and environmental experts.
A Unique Standard
Several key elements make the EPP standard unique. Unlike most standards which are designed to be inclusive, the EPP standard, through the intent of EO 13101, is a “leadership” standard. This means that only the preeminent products in each category will be granted certification. As a majority of products begin to rise to meet the stringent EPP criteria, the criteria will be further developed to maintain leadership qualifications.
Also, while many standards address only a single product attribute, like recycled content or low emissions, the EPP standard addresses multiple attributes over the full life-cycle of the product, making it a more comprehensive and sophisticated measurement of the total environmental impact of the product or service. When a product is better in every impact category than the baseline, it can be certified as environmentally preferable.
Finally, certification must be reevaluated periodically to ensure that the rigorous EPP criteria continue to be met.
Criteria for Carpet Face Fiber
Antron® nylon achieved EPP certification on June 2002 after an intensive analysis, and remains the first and only carpet fiber to be certified as an environmentally preferable product. EPP criteria for carpet face fiber and Antron© qualifications include:
The Importance of Certification
We live in a world of very creative marketing—manufacturers are continuously unleashing a barrage of product claims and information. And design professionals, specifiers and facility managers cannot afford the time it would take to sift through this deluge. How do you sort through this vast amount of information to determine what is relevant, accurate, and up-to-date?
One way to determine the validity of manufacturer claims is to look for certification. There are various types or “degrees” of certification, and as one moves along the continuum, the amount of external monitoring and financial independence from the manufacturer or service provider increases. Because of these factors, the way claims are reviewed and certified has a direct effect on the level of confidence purchasers have on the accuracy of a claim.
First Party Certification
First-Party certification is sometimes referred to as a self-certification or self-declaration. This is an internal assessment by a manufacturer of its own products and operations. A first party certification is not reviewed or validated by another authority. The best guide for first-party certification is ISO 14021: Environmental Labels and Declarations—Self-Declared Environmental Claims, also known as Type II labeling. These types of claims should be accurate and not misleading, and should be able to be substantiated and verified without access to confidential business information. While first party cert is a credible reporting method, purchasers often remain skeptical of manufacturer claims and tend not to recognize first party certification as a viable method to validate environmental claims.
Second Party Certification
Second-party certification is performed under the auspices of an interested party, such as a trade association or vendor, and requires the manufacturer to document data that supports a given claim. On-site inspections may or may not be performed for second party certification. Programs may address single attribute certification or may extend to the consideration of multiple attributes. Typically, industry members work together to address market demands or to preclude regulatory oversights. The Carpet and Rug Institutes “Green Label” Testing Program which limits the emission of VOCs is a good example of a successful second-party certification program.
Third Party Certification
Third-party certification is conducted by an independent, neutral party and is based on an established set of standards. The certifier has no financial interest in the manufacturer being certified (e.g., no shares, loans, grants, board members, etc.), does not provide any other service for certification clients (e.g., training, consulting, program development, etc.), promotes transparency of both the standards and the certification process, and treats all clients equally. This process is typically much more rigorous than first and second party certifications, and involves the submission of manufacturer claims, supporting documents and, in most cases, a thorough on-site assessment. Third party certifications can verify single attributes of a product or service, or take on a more comprehensive approach to address multiple characteristics.
Because the audit and testing processes are intensive, it is customary for certification organizations to charge a fee for their services. This is not to imply that the certification can be purchased – there is never a guarantee at the onset of the process that certification will be granted. Green Seal, GREENGUARD, and Scientific Certification Systems are among the many recognized third party certification organizations.
A Word of Caution
If a manufacturer claims to have an environmentally preferable product or service it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are certified to a standard. SCS does not maintain exclusive use of the term “environmentally preferable product.” The only way to ensure that the product or service you are specifying has met the rigorous EPP standard and criteria is to look for the SCS label.
Caren Klosterman is the Environmental Market Specialist for the Antron® brand, a product of INVISTA Interiors. She helps develop the sustainability policies for carpet fiber on a national level. Prior to joining INVISTA, she was employed as a registered interior designer, specializing in Healthcare design. She is a LEED accredited professional, providing education on green building and manufacturing initiatives to the design community.
For Additional Information
Please visit the following websites for more information about Environmentally Preferable Products:
http://www.antron.invista.com
http://www.scscertified.com
http://www.epa.gov
