environmental product declaration ecoworx carpet tile with ... · nylon 6 face fiber. ... page 6 of...

EcoWorx® Carpet Tile with EcoSolution Q® Face Fiber

Environmental Product Declaration

Shaw Contract Group defines design not only by great appearance but also performance and sustainability. The result is long-lasting carpet with vibrant colors, distinctive patterns, and minimal environmental impact. As a brand of Shaw Industries, Shaw Contract Group combines the expertise of the world’s largest carpet manufacturer with the financial stability of a Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary.

For more information, visit shawcontractgroup.com

EcoWorx Tile: The industry’s first fully recylcable, non-PVC carpet tile

backing. It is 100% PVC-free with Silver Cradle to Cradle® Certification

from the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute ensuring safety

for human health and the environment.

COMMERCIAL CARPET TILEAVERAGE FACE WEIGHT - 21.3 OZ/SQUARE YARD

EcoWorx® Carpet Tile with EcoSolution Q

® Face Fiber

Commercial Carpet Tile

According to ISO 14025

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This declaration is an environmental product declaration (EPD) in accordance with ISO 14025. EPDs rely

on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to provide information on a number of environmental impacts of products

over their life cycle. Exclusions: EPDs do not indicate that any environmental or social performance

benchmarks are met, and there may be impacts that they do not encompass. LCAs do not typically

address the site-specific environmental impacts of raw material extraction, nor are they meant to assess human health

toxicity. EPDs can complement but cannot replace tools and certifications that are designed to address these impacts

and/or set performance thresholds – e.g. Type 1 certifications, health assessments and declarations, environmental

impact assessments, etc. Accuracy of Results: EPDs regularly rely on estimations of impacts, and the level of

accuracy in estimation of effect differs for any particular product line and reported impact. Comparability: EPDs are not

comparative assertions and are either not comparable or have limited comparability when they cover different life cycle

stages, are based on different product category rules or are missing relevant environmental impacts. EPDs from

different programs may not be comparable.

PROGRAM OPERATOR UL Environment ONLY UL

DECLARATION HOLDER Shaw Industry Groups Inc.

DECLARATION NUMBER 12CA54711.101.2

DECLARED PRODUCT Commerical Carpet Tile NLY

REFERENCE PCR NSF PCR for Flooring (Carpet, Resilient, Laminate, Ceramic, and Wood)UL ONLY

DATE OF ISSUE November 29, 2012UL ONLY

PERIOD OF VALIDITY 5 years UL ONLY

CONTENTS OF THE

DECLARATION

Product definition and information about building physics

Information about basic material and the material’s origin

Description of the product’s manufacture

Indication of product processing

Information about the in-use conditions

Life cycle assessment results

Testing results and verifications

THE PCR REVIEW WAS CONDUCTED BY: NSF International

Accepted by PCR Review Panel

[email protected]

THIS DECLARATION WAS INDEPENDENTLY VERIFIED IN ACCORDANCE WITH

ISO 14025 BY UNDERWRITERS LABORATORIES

☐ INTERNAL ☒ EXTERNAL

Paul Firth

THIS LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT WAS INDEPENDENTLY VERIFIED IN

ACCORDANCE WITH ISO 14044 AND THE REFERENCE PCR BY: UL O NLY

Tom Gloria


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Product Definition

Product Classification & Description

EcoWorx® is the flooring industry’s first fully recyclable, non-PVC

carpet tile backing and the world’s first Cradle to Cradle® Silver

Certified commercial carpet tile.

EcoWorx® contains 44% recycled content by weight, including 33%

pre-consumer recycled content and 11% post-consumer recycled

content.

The EcoWorx® product line consists of hundreds of styles made

using the EcoWorx® PVC-free polyolefin composite backing and a

Nylon 6 face fiber. This product group was assessed for an average

face weight of 21.3 ounces per square yard (osy) with a maximum of

42 osy and a minimum of 14 osy yarn weights.

All EcoWorx® products come with a global Environmental Guarantee,

which guarantees that when it reaches the end of its useful life, Shaw

will collect and recycle the EcoWorx® into new EcoWorx

®.

EcoWorx® products also come with a lifetime commercial warranty

against edge ravel, zippering, delamination, and moisture

degradation.

The recycled content in EcoWorx tile is calculated using system

allocation for the EcoSolution Q face fiber and mass balance

calculations for the EcoWorx backing. Note: the recycled content

values for EcoWorx tile are validated annually as part of the

ANSI/NSF 140 Platinum certification process; the actual recycled

content in each product will likely vary.

Shaw Contract Group, a brand of Shaw Industries Group, Inc., strives

to adhere to all applicable laws regarding labor, discrimination and

harassment, wages and benefits, health and safety, diversity, and equal opportunity.

For more information, visit ShawContractGroup.com.


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Range of Applications

EcoWorx® carpet tiles are intended for high performance environments requiring modular flooring, such as commercial

building installations with heavy foot traffic.

Product Standards & Approvals

Pill Test (CPSC FF1-70) PASS

Flooring Radiant Panel (ASTM E-648) Class I

NBS Smoke Density (ASTM E-662) ≤ 450

Electrostatic Propensity (AATCC-134) < 3.5 kV

CRI Green Label Plus ID 9968

California Section 01350 Meets Criteria

Colorfastness to Light (AATCC-16E) ≥ 4.0 @ 60 AFUs

Delamination Strength (ASTM D-3936) No Delamination

Tuft Bind (ASTM D-1335) ≥ 8 pounds

Dimensional Stability (ASTM 7570) < 0.150% change

Surface Appearance Change (ASTM D5252/7330) ≥ 2.0, depending on style

Product Characteristics

Face Fiber Composition Nylon 6

Primary Backing Polyester / Nylon 6 composite

Secondary Backing Polyolefin Composite Recycled Content 44% total recycled content by weight: 33% pre-consumer; 11% post-consumer according to system

allocation.

table contents Installation Options Full spread Shaw Sureset N5000 releasable adhesive EcoWorx® ES, Shaw’s environmental self-

adhesive system, or LokDots® installation system for EcoWorx

®

Product Size Availability

(inches)

24”x24” or 18”x36”

Average Minimum Maximum

Face Weight 21.3 oz/sy (0.722 kg/m2)

14 oz/sy (0.475 kg/m2)

42 oz/sy (1.42 kg/m2)

Total Product Weight 93.6 oz/sy (3.17 kg/m2)

86.3 oz/sy (2.93 kg/m2)

114.3 oz/sy (3.88 kg/m2)

Visit ShawContractGroup.com to download details on specifications and warranties online.

The recycled content in EcoWorx tile is calculated using system allocation for the EcoSolution Q face fiber and mass

balance calculations for the EcoWorx backing. Note: the recycled content values for EcoWorx tile are validated


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annually as part of the ANSI/NSF 140 Platinum certification process; the actual recycled content in each product will

likely vary.

Material Content

Component

Material Mass % Availability Origin

Face Yarn

Nylon 6

23

Non-renewable Fossil Limited United States

Post-industrial Nylon 6 Recycled Limited United States

Post-consumer Nylon 6 Recycled Limited United States

Primary Backing Nylon 6 4


Polyester Non-renewable Fossil Limited United States

Precoat Latex

18


Calcium Carbonate Non-renewable Mineral Abundant United States

Aluminum Trihydrate Non-renewable Mineral Abundant United States

Secondary Backing Polyolefin Composite

53


Elutriated Heavies Recycled Limited United States

Coal Fly Ash or Glass Cullet Recycled Fossil Limited United States

Stabilization Layer Fiberglass 2 Non-renewable Mineral Abundant United States


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Product Manufacture

Production of Main Materials

Nylon 6 is a polymer of caprolactam formed by ring opening

polymerization. The post-consumer nylon 6 fiber used by

Shaw is created using caprolactam recovered from the

depolymerization process of used nylon 6 at the Shaw

Evergreen facility in Augusta, GA, and then re-polymerizing it

back into virgin fiber.

Polyester is a category of polymers produced from an ester

functional group. In the flooring industry, polyester most

commonly refers to polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a

thermoplastic polymer resin.

Latex is a synthetic copolymer used as a precoat to bind the

face fiber to the primary backing.

Calcium Carbonate (limestone) is a common substance

mined and used as filler for many products.

Aluminum trihydrate (aluminum hydroxide) is a mineral

found in the aluminum ore bauxite, and is commonly used as a fire retardant.

Polyolefins are extremely inert polymers produced from a simple olefin as a monomer.

Elutriated Heavies are shreddings from the backing of returned EcoWorx® tiles which are then added to the virgin

compounds during the backing extrusion.

Coal Fly Ash is a by-product generated during the combustion of coal used in electricity generation.

Glass Cullet is crushed glass, which is added to the backing for dimensional stability.

Fiberglass is created by extruding melted glass into fibers and adding these fibers to a thermoplastic resin matrix. The

final fiberglass sheet adds dimensional stability to the final tile product.

Production of the EcoWorx® Tile

EcoWorx® carpet tile is made with Shaw’s Eco Solution Q

® Nylon 6 face fiber.

Nylon 6 face fiber is produced internally at Shaw through polymerization from caprolactam. The EcoSolution Q® Nylon 6

fiber is turned into yarn through a variety of processes depending up on the desired look of the finished product.


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The yarn is tufted into the primary backing layer, after which a performance precoat is applied to ensure maximum tuft

bind. A first layer of the EcoWorx® thermoplastic polyolefin compound is then applied, followed by the application of a

fiberglass reinforcement layer for unmatched stability. A final layer of EcoWorx® backing is then for added stability. The

tiles are then die-cut and packaged for distribution.

Environmental Health & Safety of Production

EcoWorx® is manufactured in the US in an ISO 9001 & ISO 14001 certified facility or equivalent.

Shaw strives to adhere to all applicable laws regarding labor, discrimination and harassment, wages and benefits,

health and safety, diversity, and equal opportunity. Through associate engagement, structured safety processes, and a

commitment to responsible materials sourcing, Shaw works to improve standards for personal and organizational

safety every day. Our programs include:

Shaw Behavior Based Safety Program to ensure continuous training, awareness, education and safety of all

Shaw associates and visitors to Shaw facilities.

Supply chain, raw materials and waste management programs

ANSI/NSF 140 compliance

Shaw Management System (SMS) - Based on ISO 9001 and 14001, and OSHAS 18001 standards, SMS

brings together Shaw’s Quality, Total Productive Manufacturing (TPM), Environmental, Health and Safety

systems under one umbrella, providing associates with a “one stop shop” for helping ensure all job steps are

followed the same way every time.

Shaw’s full Safety, Health and Environmental Policy is available at ShawGreenEdge.com/SHEP.

Production Waste & Waste Management

More than 75 percent of Shaw’s manufacturing waste is recycled or reused through Shaw’s Material Resources

Management (MRM) system. Designed to revolutionize the way Shaw defines and manages manufacturing waste,

MRM measures and categorizes material previously considered waste across all Shaw manufacturing facilities. The

system then uses a centralized reporting system to channel that material into new cycles of recycling and reuse

through Shaw’s own reclamation and manufacturing systems, or for use in the manufacture of other products.

Delivery and Installation

Delivery

For life cycle assessment purposes, the distance traveled for delivery of the product was calculated using a weighted

average of total sales.


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Packaging Materials

Domestically, EcoWorx® is packaged using a combination of cardboard corners and stretch wrap, and then stacked on

pallets. When shipping EcoWorx® internationally, the tiles are loaded into cardboard boxes and stacked on pallets.

Installation

EcoWorx® can be installed using full spread Shaw Sureset N5000 releasable adhesive, EcoWorx®® ES (Shaw’s

environmental self-adhesive system), or LokDots® installation system for EcoWorx

®.

LokDots® uses a system of adhesive dots and a lightweight handheld applicator to install EcoWorx

® carpet tile even in

some of the most challenging conditions. The pressure-sensitive system uses as much as 97% less material

(compared to wet adhesive) and allows for virtually immediate occupancy. LokDots®’ odorless, non-toxic adhesive

makes it easy to use in occupied spaces, and LokDots® are also ideal for high moisture environments with up to 12pH,

10 pounds per 100 square feet moisture transmission, and 95% relative humidity in the concrete slab. For more

information about LokDots®, visit LokDots.com.

A full installation guide for EcoWorx® tile is available at:

http://www.shawcontractgroup.com/Content/LiteraturePDFs/Installation_pdf/ModularInstallation.pdf.Packaging

All Shaw packaging materials are fully recyclable. While Shaw has significantly dematerialized the packaging used for

EcoWorx®, some packaging material is necessary for the delivery of the product. Shaw recommends the recycling of

these packaging materials whenever possible.


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Health, Safety & Environmental Impacts During Installation

Shaw commercial floor coverings are tested and certified to the Carpet and Rug Institute Green Label

Plus (GLP) standard for VOC emissions. Shaw adhesives are also certified to the Green Label

adhesive emissions criteria; they also comply with the VOC content requirements of the South Coast

Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) Rule 1168. Full EcoWorx® specifications are available at

http://www.shawcontractgroup.com/Content/LiteraturePDFs/Backings_pdf/EcoWorx_spec.pdf.

Use Stage

The use stage of the life cycle assessment takes into account the regular and irregular maintenance of the carpet. For

the life cycle assessment, it is assumed that EcoWorx® carpet tile lasts 15 years, assuming proper installation, care,

and maintenance.

Cleaning and Maintenance

Cleaning and maintenance can vary greatly with use conditions. Therefore, the life cycle assessment includes the

average of all Shaw recommended cleaning and care schedules according to the following table:

http://www.shawcontractgroup.com/Html/PerformanceMaintenance

Cleaning Process Frequency Energy and Resources Used

Vacuuming 4 times a week Electricity

Hot Water Extraction 2 times a year Electricity, Water, Cleaner

End-of-Life

Recycling

Recognized by the US Environmental Protection Agency for innovation in carpet recycling, Shaw leads the industry in

carpet reclamation, collecting more than 100 million pounds of post-consumer carpet annually and recycling it through

our various recycling programs, including Shaw’s Evergreen Nylon 6 recycling facility.

Shaw also provides a Global Environmental Guarantee for all EcoWorx® products, which guarantees Shaw will collect

EcoWorx® at the end of its useful life and recycle it into new EcoWorx

® again and again.

For more information on recycling EcoWorx®, visit

http://www.shawcontractgroup.com/Html/EnvironmentalReclamationRecycling.


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Disposal

The EcoWorx® Global Environmental Guarantee makes it easy to

recycle EcoWorx® at the end of its useful life. However, in

circumstances where recycling is not feasible, the material may be

disposed of via landfill or commercial incineration. For life cycle

assessment purposes, all disposal options are assumed (recycling,

landfill, incineration).

The Elutriation Process: making carpet from carpet


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Life Cycle Assessment Results

A cradle-to-grave Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was completed on EcoWorx® tile according to ISO 14040/44.

Description of the Declared or Functional Unit

The functional unit of the study is one square meter of floor covering in a commercial building over a time period of 60 years.

The 60-year study shows the impact of 4 iterations of carpet tile, each lasting 15 years.

Cut-off Criteria

Mass and energy flows less than 1% of the total mass or energy, respectively, may be excluded from the study, provided

they do not total more than 5% of the total mass or energy, respectively, and provided they do not contribute more than 1%

to the environmental impacts of the study.

Impact Allocation

As multiple products are created at each of Shaw's manufacturing facilities, allocation is used to determine how much

of the total facility energy and water use is caused by the product in question. For all manufacturing facilities, mass

allocation of the final products is used. The only exception is the Evergreen nylon 6 recycling facility, where economic

allocation is used due to the valuable nature of the desired product, and the lower economic value of the coproduct.

Background Data

All upstream data have been taken from the GaBi 6 LCI database, excluding the caprolactam from the Shaw Evergreen

facility, which is taken from a prior LCA study performed for Shaw. All manufacturing data has been collected from Shaw

facilities.

Data Quality

All background data used is considered to be of high quality. Primary data is collected from Shaw facilities in the United

States and is an average over 2012, using up-to-date technologies. Secondary data is taken from the GaBi 6 LCI database.

System Boundaries

The LCA study performed is considered a full cradle-to-grave study. It includes raw material sourcing/extraction,

manufacturing, installation and delivery, use, and end-of-life.

Results of the Assessment

The LCIA categories are based on the CML 2001 methodology, updated in 2010, and the TRACI 2.1 results are also

shown. The LCA results are split into the following life cycle stages: sourcing/extraction, manufacturing, delivery and

installation, use, and end of life.


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Life Cycle Inventory

The table below shows the primary energy, material resources, and waste flows for the 60 year study.

Life Cycle Inventory Column Heading Column Heading Column Heading

Primary Energy

table contents table contents table contents

Non-Renewable Resources 1,333 MJ 23% Crude Oil 27% Hard Coal 2% Lignite 37% Natural Gas 11% Nuclear

Renewable Resources 70 MJ 5% Geothermal

33% Hydro 16% Wind 46% Solar

Secondary Fuels 0 MJ

Non-Renewable Material Resources (>1% of total)

table contents table contents

table contents

Inert Rock 80.4 kg

Limestone 1.9 kg

Bauxite 1.8 kg

Waste Flows

Non-Hazardous 14.6 kg

Hazardous 0.01 kg

Life Cycle Impact Assessment

The results shown in the following LCIA tables contain a 60 year study, including 4 iterations of EcoWorx tile each

lasting 15 years, and a one year study, including one iteration of the EcoWorx tile. An average face weight was used

to create the following results.

Table A: LCIA Results for 1 Year Study

The Flooring: Carpet, Resilient, Laminate, Ceramic, Wood PCR is currently under expert review. It is expected that

this review will conclude that Table A: Life Cycle Impacts for a One Year Use Stage will no longer be necessary in

future EPDs. The absence of Table A in this EPD is recognized by NSF and UL Environment as an appropriate

deviation from the PCR.

Table B: LCIA Results for 60 Year Study

CML 2001, Updated Nov, 2010

Impact Category Total Sourcing & Extraction Manufacturing

Delivery & Installation

Use End-of-Life

Global Warming 76.8 kg CO2 eq 56.0% 6.9% 2.3% 33.8% 1.0%

Acidification 0.27 kg SO2 eq 46.5% 6.8% 0.8% 45.4% 0.4%

Ozone Depletion 2.8E-08 kg R11 eq 50.5% 7.2% 0.3% 41.5% 0.5%

Smog 0.022 kg C2H4 eq 58.7% 6.2% 2.4% 31.4% 1.4%

Eutrophication 0.019 kg phosphate eq 62.0% 5.4% 1.4% 30.3% 0.9%

Abiotic Depletion 6.5E-05 kg Sb eq 93.7% 1.4% 0.4% 4.3% 0.1%

TRACI 2.0

Impact Category Total Sourcing/Extraction Manufacturing Delivery & Installation

Use End-of-Life

Global Warming 76.6 kg CO2 eq 56.0% 6.9% 2.1% 33.9% 1.0%

Acidification 0.26 kg SO2 eq 48.1% 6.7% 0.8% 43.9% 0.5%

Ozone Depletion 3.0E-08 kg CFC-11 eq 51.0% 7.1% 0.3% 41.1% 0.5%

Smog 2.9 kg O3 eq 59.6% 5.3% 1.2% 33.0% 0.9%

Eutrophication 5.3E-02 kg N eq 91.7% 1.4% 0.3% 6.4% 0.2%


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TRACI 2.1 LCIA Results CML LCIA Results

Interpretation

The results show the top two contributors to the environmental impact of EcoWorx tile are the materials themselves, as

well as the use of the carpet (cleaning).

References

Product Category Rule for Environmental Product Declarations, Flooring: Carpet, Resilient, Laminate, Ceramic, Wood, NSF International, National Center for Sustainability Standards, valid through May 22, 2017, [email protected]

ISO 14025:2006, the International Organization for Standardization, Environmental Labels and Declarations - Type III Environmental Declarations - Principals and Procedures, Edition 1 http://www.iso.org/iso/catalogue_detail?csnumber=38131

ISO 14040:2006, the International Standard of the International Standardization Organization, Environmental Management – Life Cycle Assessment - Principles and Framework, Edition 2 http://www.iso.org/iso/iso_catalogue/catalogue_tc/catalogue_detail.htm?csnumber=37456

ISO 14044:2006, the International Standard of the International Standardization Organization, Environmental Management – Life Cycle Assessment – Requirements and guidelines, Edition 1, Section 6.1. http://www.iso.org/iso/iso_catalogue/catalogue_tc/catalogue_detail.htm?csnumber=38498

ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA, 19428-2959 USA http://www.astm.org/Standard/index.shtml

16 CFR Ch. 11 (1-1-00 Edition) Part 1630, Document FF 1-70 Surface Flammability of Carpets and Rugs

American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC), Research Triangle Park, NC., USA, Test Methods and Evaluation Procedures http://www.aatcc.org/testing/methods/index.htm

Carpet and Rug Institute, Green Label Plus Program, Carpet and Adhesives, http://www.carpet-rug.org/commercialcustomers/green-building-and-the-environment/green-label-plus/carpet-and-adhesive.cfm


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Standard Method for the Testing and Evaluation of Volatile Organic Chemical Emissions From Indoor Sources Using Environmental Chambers 1.1, Indoor Air Quality Section, Environmental Health Laboratory Branch, Division of Environmental and Occupational Disease Control, California Department of Public Health February 2010 (also known as California Specification 01350) http://www.cal-iaq.org/phocadownload/cdph-iaq_standardmethod_v1_1_2010%20new1110.pdf

South Coast Air Quality Management District, Rule 1168, Adhesives and Sealant Applications; http://www.aqmd.gov/rules/reg/reg11/r1168.pdf

International Organization for Standardization (ISO) ISO 14001:2004(E), Second Edition, Environmental Management Systems – Requirements with Guidance for Use http://www.iso.org/iso/home.html

Cradle to Cradle, http://www.c2ccertified.org

BRE Global Certification, http://www.bre.co.uk

NSF/ANSI 140 Sustainability Assessment for Carpet, NSF International, http://www.nsf.org

Singapore Green Labelling Scheme (SGLS), member of the Global Ecolabelling Network (GEN) http://www.greenlabel.sg/

GaBi 6 software, PE INTERNATIONAL, http://www.gabi-software.com

U.S. EPA, Tool for the Reduction and Assessment of Chemical and Other Environmental Impacts (TRACI), version 2.1 http://www.epa.gov/nrmrl/std/sab/traci/.

University of Leiden Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Life Cycle Impact Assessment Methodology, 2001 version. http://cml.leiden.edu/software/data-cmlia.html.

environmental product declaration ecoworx carpet tile with ... · nylon 6 face fiber. ... page 6 of...

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