In its first full year of existence, the ANSI/NSF 140 2007 carpet sustainability standard earned positive accolades and has filled a need in the existing market.

NSF 140 is the comprehensive environmental standard developed to help the design community identify carpet with reduced environmental impact. NSF 140-2007 is the first multi-attribute ANSI-approved standard developed to identify environmentally preferred building materials. The standard evaluates products and manufacturers based on performance in five areas: public health and the environment, energy and energy efficiency, bio-based and recycled content, manufacturing, and reclamation and end-of-life management.

Nine manufacturers have already achieved certification under NSF 140, representing a total of 28 approved product platforms. Beaulieu Commercial, Bentley Prince Street, InterfaceFLOR, Mannington Mills, Masland Contract, Milliken and Company, Shaw Industries, Tandus and J+J|Invision each submitted detailed documentation and underwent exhaustive scrutiny in order to achieve certification for their products.

Each product platform represents a group of styles that share one or more similar characteristics, such as a backing or finishing system, and each approved platform can represent hundreds of carpet styles. To make it easier for specifiers to find NSF 140 approved products, the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) has listed them in a centralized registry on the CRI website, carpet-rug.org. (www.carpet-rug.org/carpet-and-rug-industry/sustainability/sustainable-carpet/sustainable-carpet-list.cfm).

The NSF 140 Joint Committee has approved a detailed guidebook, standards.nsf.org/apps/group_public/download.php/4273/NSF%20140-2007%20Guidance%20Manual%200209.pdf. available online for manufacturers who are interested in starting the certification process.

This summer, the NSF Joint Committee is conducting the first annual review of the NSF 140 standard to examine compliance and consider proposed changes and additions to the standard. Copies of the current approved NSF 140 standard are available from the NSF International Bookstore. www.nsf.org/info/carpet.

In an exciting development for broadening the acceptance and clout behind NSF 140, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is looking closely at including NSF 140 in its recommendations for federal comprehensive procurement guidelines (CPGs) for nylon carpet. If the EPA does add NSF 140-certified products to CPG suggested listings, it will mark the first time the agency has considered a product’s entire environmental profile and overall impact on sustainability and the environment in their decision. Past recommendations were based on recycled content alone. An answer is expected in the next few months.