by Jeff Carrier
Most people in the architectural, design and construction communities know of the Carpet & Rug Institute’s (CRI) signature Green Label Plus (GLP) and Green Label programs. What they may not know is what the programs mean and what kinds of products they cover.
For example, some people don’t know Green Label Plus for Adhesives gives the same assurance of minimized volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions that our more widely known carpet program provides.
Most building products today are evaluated based upon their emission of VOCs rather than their content. For some reason, adhesives have been more widely evaluated for their content, via the South Coast Air Quality Management District’s (SCAQMD) Rule 1168. It’s a reasonable rule and effective, however, times are changing— perhaps because it has been recognized there is a better way to evaluate the actual behavior of an adhesive in the built environment—namely, the Green Label Plus for Adhesives Program.
For example, the upcoming Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) 2012 program by the U.S. Green Building Council has shifted away from the older Rule 1168 in favor of another California standard commonly referred to as Section 01350, which is an emission-based program. As it happens, GLP long ago incorporated Section 01350’s requirements and is fully compliant with it, as well as the proposed LEED 2012 requirements for adhesives (EQ Credit: Low Emitting Interiors).
Introduced in 1992, the Green Label program evaluated carpets, cushions and adhesives for the emission of certain VOCs. Through a series of upgrades and program modifications, the Green Label Plus program was born. GLP now represents the ultimate voluntary, third-party verified emissions testing program in existence.
Since GLP is a third-party program, some might wonder how CRI is involved with it. Essentially, CRI performs secretarial duties in billing and recording test results. CRI also has oversight into operational program guidelines and procedures separate from actual testing and product evaluation. Additionally, and possibly more importantly, CRI’s role is to maintain its accreditation with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) as an ISO/ IEC Guide 65-compliant body. This ANSI accreditation ensures that every aspect of the Green Label Plus operation is compliant with this stringent certification standard.
But enough of the broad view of the GLP program. What about the adhesives category? That’s pretty easy. GLP for Adhesives goes beyond simple compliance with California’s Section 01350 by first performing annual testing for eight compounds from Section 01350 and then testing for seven more compounds that are commonly encountered in adhesives. This annual testing is a step beyond what is required of most other building components that are Section 01350 certified. It’s part of what makes the GLP program special and rigorous. To add yet another level of rigor to the program, each product undergoes an unannounced, unplanned semiannual test at least once every four years and is held to the annual performance criteria for that test.
GLP for Adhesives deals primarily with adhesives used in the installation of carpets although some of the products evaluated in the program have multiple uses or are entirely intended for other floor coverings such as laminate, ceramic, resilient or hardwood.
When one considers adhesives in general, what comes to mind is a category of products with rapid release of VOCs for a short duration of time. Seizing upon this advantage that adhesives have over other building products, the GLP for Adhesives program sets limits for how much of each individual VOC can be emitted in 24 hours or 336 hours (14 days).
These limits are based upon one-half of Section 01350’s Chronic Reference Exposure Level (CREL) when one exists for that compound. If no CREL exists, CRI reviews existing data from other sources, such as the U.S. EPA, California Prop 65, and European agencies to develop a reasonable emission limit for those compounds. Combined with the natural advantage of adhesive’s short emission period, starting with the lowest possible concentration of VOCs gives the best possible exposure scenario in the built environment. That performance will soon translate into points for your LEED project.
Jeff Carrier is CRI’s sustainability manager. For more on CRI’s Green Label Plus contact him at 706.428.2115 or visit carpet-rug.org.