SUNNYVALE, CALIF.—UL Environment Inc. announced it has validated environmental claims for Serious Materials’ new drywall product, EcoRock. This represents the first validation of claims by UL Environment since its launch in January 2009, and the first product in the 115-year history of Underwriters Laboratories (UL) to receive an Environmental Claims Validation. UL Environment is a wholly-owned subsidiary of UL, a world leader in product safety testing services.
UL Environment validated Serious Materials’ environmental claims for EcoRock by performing assessments and laboratory tests. An audit was conducted for recycled content, environmental chamber tests were performed to determine volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions, energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence tests were performed to determine mercury content, and microbial resistance tests were performed to determine the product’s resistance to mold. The UL Environment audit validates the following environmental claims for EcoRock: 80 percent recycled content, low VOC emissions (meets CA 01350), mercury free, and highly resistant to mold.
“As sustainable products become more available, third-party validation of claims by credible organizations like UL Environment will be crucial to eliminating exaggerated green marketing claims,” said Steve Wenc, president, UL Environment Inc. “UL Environment applies solid science and more than a century of testing expertise to protect consumers from vague, false or misleading environmental claims.”
EcoRock’s Environmental Benefits
Serious Materials completely reengineered the manufacturing and ingredients of drywall with the introduction of EcoRock. EcoRock is used like standard gypsum drywall, but requires 80 percent less energy in its core production. Its manufacturing process eliminates heaters, dryers, calcining, and the burning of fossil fuels. Using EcoRock instead of gypsum drywall would eliminate up to 20 billion pounds of CO2 emissions per year in North America.
“Specifying UL rated and certified products has long been the industry standard requirement for our customers,” said Kevin Surace, CEO of Serious Materials. “Green building mandates continue to be required by government policy and industry leading brands that understand the critical environmental and economic impact of the built environment. The launch of UL Environment Claims Validation is yet another indicator that energy-saving building products and green practices are increasingly becoming the norm, and not the alternative. EcoRock’s UL Environment Claims Validation is just as important to us as it is to our customers.”
UL Environment applies a rigorous, independent testing process to the testing of environmental claims and allows manufacturers that successfully pass the tests to apply the UL Environment service logo on product packaging and marketing materials. This not only protects consumers, institutions and businesses, it also reinforces the credibility of companies that produce products with validated environmental claims. Validation also helps companies differentiate themselves in the increasingly crowded “green” product space.
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