Standards & Compliance Briefing: Cement Sustainability, Forest Stewardship Council, NSF/ANSI 60

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The World Business Council for Sustainable Development’s Cement Sustainability Initiative has launched a Product Category Rule providing a common methodology for concrete producers who wish to issue environmental product declarations (EPD) for their products. The CSI PCR is registered under the International EPD System and complies with the European standard for construction products EN 15804:2012. It also takes into account standard developments in other regions, particularly the US. The CSI PCR, so far, focuses on the impacts of concrete production up to the point when it is delivered to the client, known as ‘cradle-to-gate,’ WBCSD said.

SCS Global Services has awarded Forest Stewardship Council responsible forest management certification to Green Diamond Resource Company for its California operations. The certification covers the company's 400,000 acres of forestland in Humboldt and Del Norte Counties on the North Coast. To earn the certification, Green Diamond made improvements to forest management policies and practices including increased levels of green tree retention within even-aged harvest units, and reduced use of clear cutting, SCS said.

NSF International has certified the PetroLuxus and AquaLuxus product lines of Planet Resource Recovery, Inc, to be safe and non-toxic according to NSF/ANSI 60: Drinking Water Treatment Chemicals - Health Effects. Both product lines received toxicology testing, and the manufacturing facility underwent an inspection and audit, Planet Resource Recovery said.

Roppe Corporation's rubber flooring and tread, vinyl tile and tread, and wall base products also have been certified to the NSF/ANSI 332 Sustainability Assessment Standard for Resilient Flooring, and meet GSA Facilities Standards for the Public Buildings Service, P100. The NSF/ANSI 332 standard is used to assess the environmental performance and sustainability attributes of resilient flooring products, then track changes over time to the sustainability profiles of these products, SCS said.

Kitchen and bath faucets manufacturer Brasstech has received ISO 14001 certification for its environmental management system. The certificate, granted by TUV, covers environmental impact of operations throughout the company. Brasstech said it began the certification process in 2011 and will conduct an external audit every six months to measure progress towards its goal of 10 percent less energy use by the year 2015.

Sanwaria Agro Oils is now certified as compliant with ISO 14001 for its environmental management system and ISO 22000 for food safety management. Additionally, the company has earned its Certificate of Compliance for Good Manufacturing Practice System under World Health Organization guidelines, and is certified by UK Certification & Inspection Ltd., Equity Bulls said.

The renovation of Carr Hall at Allegheny College has earned LEED Gold certification. The renovation project used sustainable materials, heat recovery techniques and energy-efficient lighting among other energy-saving features. The project reconfigured 19,000 square feet to create more space for classrooms, seminars, labs and offices for the environmental science and physics departments, the Erie Times-News said.

Swisslog Healthcare Solutions, a provider of automation and software products for the healthcare industry, has achieved LEED Silver certification for Existing Buildings at its North American headquarters in Denver. The facility earned its certification after implementing two years of sustainability projects, and the company said the LEED accreditation is the first milestone in its ongoing sustainability plan.

Environment + Energy Leader