"Green Label" Testing Program - Carpet Criteria
To identify carpet products that are truly low-VOC, CRI
has established a labeling program. The CRI Indoor Air Quality Carpet
Testing Program green and white logo informs the consumer that the
product type has been tested by an independent laboratory and has met the
criteria for very low emissions.
The carpet sample is tested for chemical emissions by
Air Quality Sciences, an Atlanta-based, independent laboratory using the
latest, most up-to-date, dynamic environmental chamber technology. The test
methodology was developed by consensus during an official dialogue with the
EPA and has been adopted by the American Society for Testing and Materials
(ASTM) as D 5116 – Guide for Small-Scale Environmental Chamber
Determinations of Organic Emissions from Indoor Materials/Products.
Since the inception of the program in 1992, the
industry has made substantial reductions in the levels of TVOCs, as well as
reductions in 4-phenylcyclohexene (4-PC), the compound most associated with
"new carpet odor."
The carpet manufacturer is allowed to use the CRI/IAQ
Carpet Testing Program label for that specific product type if the test
result does not exceed the stated emission criteria. The product type number
on the label identifies the manufacturer of the carpet and tells the buyer
that the manufacturer has produced a product that meets the criteria for low
emissions. Products are re-tested quarterly to monitor continued compliance
with the test program requirements. Consumers can feel confident in
selecting a carpet bearing the CRI Indoor Air Quality label. The label is
assurance that the product is a responsible, low-emitting carpet.
The current criteria for the program are based on a
maximum emission factor measured in mg/m² ∙hr as follows: |