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New SCS Certifications Abound at GreenBuild

Products ranging from Kimball Office panel systems to Andersen Corporation windows got the thumbs-up from the third-party certifier.

Nicholas Tamarin -- Interior Design, 12/1/2008 12:00:00 AM

The U.S. Green Building Council's recent GreenBuild International Conference and Expo in Boston provided a perfect platform –- not to mention a captive audience –- for Scientific Certification Systems to announce a new lot of certifications, as well as a brand-new certification program.

The SCS, one of the leading US-based certifiers of environmental claims in the green building sector, put its stamp of approval on a wide variety of products and building materials. These included rubber tile flooring from Ecore International, newly certified under the FloorScore indoor air quality program, panel systems from Kimball Office, now certified under the Indoor Advantage program, and office furnishings from Steelcase Asia-Pacific, which snagged Indoor Advantage Gold certification.

Among building products, windows from Andersen Corporation and lumber from Humboldt Redwood Company both got the nod under SCS's accredited Forest Stewardship Council's Chain-of-Custody certification program.

"The number of companies taking active steps to reduce the environmental impacts of their products continues to grow," says Michael Wolfe, business development director for the Environmental Certification Services division of SCS. "The demand for third-party certification has never been stronger, as companies seek to provide their customers with independent confirmation of their achievements."

Additionally, SCS announced that it has incorporated the CalCOMPliant program into its certification portfolio. The new category, accredited by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) under the state's new Airborne Toxic Control Measure 93220, aims to restrict formaldehyde emissions from composite wood materials and products. SCS is the first California-based certification body authorized to adopt this accreditation standard, and one of only nine groups worldwide entitled to do so. It's also the first certification body to partner with a CARB-accredited lab in China to facilitate certification efforts for manufacturers that operate facilities in that country.

"SCS is pleased to be recognized by CARB as a go-to resource for material manufacturers and fabricators seeking third-party certification under the new regulations," says SCS senior vice president, Dr. Robert Hrubes. "This new certification category is a natural complement to other air quality and material content certification services we have been providing to the green building and consumer products industries for the past two decades."