Rating System

LEED BD+C: New Construction, LEED ID+C: Commercial Interiors

Rating System Version

v3 - LEED 2009, v2 - LEED 2.2, v2 - LEED 2.0

Inquiry

We propose that a LEED Innovation & Design Process (IDP) point be awarded to any project that uses only carpet products designated as Environmentally Preferable Products (EPPs) by achieving either \'Gold\' or \'Platinum\' certification as per NSF Standard 140-2005 - Sustainable Carpet Assessment Standard (a draft Standard developed by NSF International, presently in its trial use and comment period) Specifically, we intend to use a Collins & Aikman ER3 Modular Tile product for our LEED-CI (Commercial Interiors) Project. The entire line of ER3 Modular Tile products are SCAS NSF-140 \'Platinum\' certified. The Sustainable Carpet Assessment Standard (SCSA) is the first nation-wide certification program that evaluates all measurable aspects of the environmental performance of carpet products. SCSA seeks to promote products that provide comprehensive environmental, economic, and social benefits while protecting and enhancing the needs of future generations, public health, welfare and the environment over their full commercial cycles, from raw materials extraction to final disposition, and ensuring that such products are also equivalent in performance and quality to other carpet products. Carpet products that carry SCSA \'Gold\' and \'Platinum\' level certification have the added credibility of being subject to regular, independent third-party audits. Upon completion of the trial use and comment period, SCSA will be revised as necessary and submitted to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) for approval as an American National Standard. In the baseline LEED Rating Systems, carpet products are evaluated per their indoor VOC emissions, plus the extent to which they might have some recycled content, regional material content, and/or rapidly-renewable material content, thus contributing to the associated Materials & Resources credits. While valuable, such criteria are somewhat limited in scope. By contrast, SCSA takes a broad, life-cycle-based approach to product evaluation, thoroughly examining such varied issues as the environmental impact of the manufacturing processes, social concerns such as the rights and working conditions of company employees, and what happens to carpet products at the end of their useful lives. The draft Sustainable Carpet Assessment Standard consists of the following major categories: Safe for Public Health and Environment Addresses the reduction of inventory pollutants that adversely impact public health and the environment, over the entire supply chain of any given carpet product. Energy & Energy Efficiency Addresses energy use and greenhouse gas emissions associated with carpet production and recognizes the use of renewable energy sources and implementation of conservation and efficiency measures. Bio-based, Recycled Content or Environmentally-Preferable Products Addresses more environmentally-benign feedstocks used to manufacture carpet products and is applicable to either natural or synthetic fiber construction. Manufacturing Addresses company-wide environmental stewardship via reporting and certification protocol, such as adoption of an environmental policy, use of an environmental management system (EMS) and public declaration of performance as per ISO 14001. Reclamation and End-of-Life Management Addresses product reuse and reclamation opportunities as well as installation and maintenance procedures that extend product system life. We feel that this strategy warrants a LEED IDP point because SCAS sets a high benchmark for environmental accomplishment, is comprehensive in nature, and specifically references many other third-party standards to set specific performance criteria. Furthermore, there is precedence for acceptance of such holistic standards for IDP points. In recent CIR Rulings, USGBC has favorably recognized whole product evaluation standards such as MBDC C2C, the California Gold Standard and the Climate Neutral Network Climate Cool Certification. The Project Team hopes that adoption of such a rigorous standard in the carpet industry will stimulate development of similar standards to guide other industries involved in the manufacturing of building products and materials. NSF Standard 140-2005 - Sustainable Carpet Assessment Standard can be accessed on-line at: http://www.nsf.org/business/standards_and_publications/pdf/NSF_140-05-DS.pdf.