BREEAM, one of the world’s foremost environmental assessment programs for buildings, has cited FloorScore® certified flooring products as eligible for credits under BREEAM’s indoor air quality requirements. FloorScore, a voluntary, independent certification program, tests vinyl (including LVT and VCT), linoleum, laminate, wood, ceramic and rubber flooring and certifies that they meet the emissions requirements of California Section 01350.
The FloorScore program is administered by the Resilient Floor Covering Institute, a nonprofit industry organization representing more than 95% of resilient flooring marketed in North America. The certification standard for FloorScore was developed by SCS Global Services – a leader in third-party sustainability certification, auditing, testing and standards development – in consultation with RFCI and with multi-stakeholder input. Major resilient flooring manufacturers around the world certify their products under the FloorScore program, which involves product testing by independent laboratories and third-party certification by SCS. A list of FloorScore-certified products is available at www.rfci.com/floorscore and in the certified green products guide at scsglobalservices.com.
BREEAM, which stands for Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method, has certified 425,000 buildings around the world since its launch in 1990. BREEAM addresses wide-ranging environmental and sustainability issues and enables developers, designers and building managers to document the environmental credentials of their buildings. The world renowned system uses a straightforward scoring method that is transparent, flexible, easy to understand and supported by evidence-based science and research.
In addition to BREEAM, several U.S. Green Building Council LEED systems cite FloorScore as an indicator of indoor air quality, including New Construction (NC), Commercial Interiors (CI), Core and Shell (CS), Healthcare (HC), and LEED for Homes. FloorScore also is included in important environmental rating systems such as the Green Building Initiative’s Green Globes, Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS), Green Guide for Health Care and EPA’s Tools for Schools.
“We are pleased that BREEAM, an environmental rating system recognized globally, has named FloorScore as an accepted certification program,” said Dean Thompson, RFCI president. “The resilient flooring industry is continually working to reduce the environmental impact of its products, and RFCI is pleased to be involved with a world renowned, third-party certification program that provides accountability and transparency.”
For information on FloorScore, visit www.rfci.com.