EMERYVILLE, CALIF.—SCS Global Services (SCS) has issued the first gold-level certification to Designtex, a Steelcase Company, under the facts ecolabel developed by the Association for Contract Textiles (ACT). The certification recognizes Designtex’s “Gold Standard” textiles collection—including its Concept, Precision, and Pop Art styles—as meeting stringent criteria for environmental sustainability from the fiber stage to end-of-use.
“This certification confirms Designtex’s commitment to environmental excellence,” said Stowe Beam, managing director of SCS Environmental Certification Services division. “Its precedent-setting gold-level certification is a valuable example for other textile companies to follow.”
According to Beam, the facts ecolabel is issued only after companies demonstrate that their products meet requirements in eight key parameters across the product lifecycle, comprising: Fiber Sourcing, Safety of Materials, Water Conservation, Water Quality, Energy, Recycling Practices, Air Quality In Manufacturing, and Social Accountability. These requirements are based on the NSF/ANSI 336 standard, the principal standard used in the United States to evaluate and certify the sustainability of commercial furnishings. Certification to this standard allows Designtex to further demonstrate its commitment to transparency and environmental stewardship, and to showcase responsible sourcing and manufacturing processes in order to promote awareness of best practices in sustainability within the contract furnishings industry.
“With a deep commitment to environmental rigor, it was important that Designtex go through a third party auditing and evaluation process of these products to make sure we captured all areas of performance and did so without bias,” said Carol Derby, vice president of research and development at Designtex. “SCS moved us through the process efficiently and was able to guide us to further improve the sustainable attributes of this collection.”
Go to Designtex and SCS Global Services.
