Certification & Search Terms

Sustainability. What To Look For…

As sustainability increasingly becomes a pre-requisite for new builds and interior design projects, we aim to provide you with a thorough understanding and search functionality for your design briefs.

Aged care facilities, hospitals, childcare centres, public spaces and commercial spaces often demand low or zero-emitting Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) emissions to ensure they are safe and healthy for residents and visitors. Many of our Materialised products have been third-party certified to meet the standards and codes you require and can help contribute to your Green Star Interiors Rating.

Here is a summary of the different certification categories for products on our website. These products can be viewed through the sustainability search filter on our product pages and/or are mentioned in product descriptions.

Certification

Global GreenTag International is a third party verified Conformance Assessment Body that complies, operates and continuously extends the boundaries of the trademarked Global GreenTag system under strict International Standards.

Global GreenTag first developed the GreenRate assessment scheme to align with the green building features of the Green Star® rating tools, created by the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) and since evolved with implementation into other countries under the Green Building Councils of South Africa and New Zealand. 

The Global GreenTag GreenRate™ ‘Tags’ denote the levels of certification that GreenRate provides, equating to the ‘Sustainability Factor’ in the Green Star® rating tools’ Sustainable Products credits.

  • GreenRate Level A equates to 100%
  • GreenRate Level B equates to 75%
  • GreenRate Level C equates to 50%

Our CSR Martini dECO Quiet Board acoustic absorber holds a GreenRate Level A certification along with a Platinum HealthRATE certification.

Global GreenTag International is a third party verified Conformance Assessment Body that complies, operates and continuously extends the boundaries of the trademarked Global GreenTag system under strict International Standards.

The Global Greentag HealthRATE™ Marks rate the HEALTHINESS OF PRODUCTS IN USE for end users. The tiered marks of HealthRATE™ provide peace of mind as to the likely health impacts (if any) of the products used in daily lives, whether that be at work, at home, in the nursery, in hotels or out and about using public amenities.

The GreenTag HealthRATE™ marks ranges from Bronze (indicating a product has achieved a Good HealthRATE) through to Silver (Very Good), Gold (Excellent) and Platinum (World Leading).

All Global GreenTag certified products are determined as healthy for use using the best science available. All results are peer reviewed by highly qualified external consultant toxicologists to ensure you can trust the results.

Our CSR Martini dECO Quiet Board acoustic absorber holds a Platinum HealthRATE™ certification, along with a GreenRate Level A certification.

GREENGUARD logo

GREENGUARD Certification ensures that a product has met some of the world’s most rigorous and comprehensive standards for low emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into indoor air. The information below has been republished from the GREENGUARD website.

What Is GREENGUARD Certification?

As the demand for healthier, more sustainable products continues to expand, consumers and building industry professionals increasingly demand substantiation of product sustainability claims and rely on trustworthy third-party certifiers to guide purchasing and specification decisions. GREENGUARD Certification provides the market with solutions and resources to identify products with lower chemical emissions, and provides manufacturers with credible tools to legitimise and promote their sustainability efforts.

Indoor air quality (IAQ) is closely tied to health, and is therefore recognised as an important concern in homes, schools, healthcare environments and commercial spaces. Volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from building materials and furnishings is a major source of indoor air pollution. GREENGUARD Certification has been widely adopted as a trusted standard for low-emitting products. In fact, more than 400 green building codes, standards, guidelines, procurements policies, and rating systems give credit for GREENGUARD Certified products.

GREENGUARD Certification emissions limits were first used as purchasing specifications for the US EPA and the State of Washington for furniture and commercial building products. GREENGUARD Certification criteria have been the basis for the LEED credit for low emitting furniture since 2002. Office Furniture products that are GREENGUARD Certified are also compliant with the BIFMA X7.1 standard and BIFMA e3 credit 7.6.1.

Learn more from the GREENGUARD website.

GREENGUARD Gold logo

Previously known as the Greenguard Children & Schools Certification, launched to address the indoor air quality needs of schools, daycares, and other sensitive environments in which children spend a lot of time. As such, it enforces stricter chemical emissions limits than the original certification.

What Is GREENGUARD GOLD Certification?

The GREENGUARD Gold standard includes health-based criteria for additional chemicals and also requires lower total VOC emissions levels to ensure that products are acceptable for use in environments such as schools and healthcare facilities.

In addition to limiting emissions of more than 360 VOCs and total chemical emissions, GREENGUARD Gold Certified products must also comply with requirements of the State of California’s Department of Public Health “Standard Method for the Testing and Evaluation of Volatile Organic Chemical Emissions from Indoor Sources Using Environmental Chambers, Version 1.1 (2010)” (also known as California Section 01350). Office Furniture products that are GREENGUARD Gold Certified are also compliant with the BIFMA X7.1 standard and BIFMA e3 credits 7.6.1, 7.6.2, and 7.6.3.

Learn more from the GREENGUARD website.

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a green building certification program used worldwide. Developed by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), it includes a set of rating systems for the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of green buildings, homes, and neighbourhoods, which aims to help building owners and operators be environmentally responsible and use resources efficiently (source: Wikipedia)

Purchasers and specifiers of textile fabrics want to know that the products they select for public spaces are reliable and dependable. The purpose of the NSF/ANSI 336 standard is to address the environmental, economic and social aspects of commercial furnishing fabrics used in commercial spaces. As a multi-attribute sustainability standard, NSF 336 considers eight sustainability parameters that carry varying weight in the total point make-up; 50 percent comprises the fibre composition, and the remaining 50 percent comprises the fabric manufacturing process.

Certified fabrics must meet prerequisites for each parameter and can achieve optional credits, earning up to a maximum of 100 points. Based on the total number of points achieved within each category, products are awarded certification levels of compliant, silver, gold or platinum. Products certified to NSF 336 are certified for five years and undergo yearly reviews to determine continued compliance to the standard.

Oeko-Tex logo

OEKO-TEX certification is about how the fabric is processed, including things like dyes and finishes. OEKO-TEX textiles and fabrics are certified free of harmful chemicals and are safe for human use. To attain OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certification, the fabric has been tested and certified to be free from harmful levels of more than 100 substances known to be harmful to human health.

Key Points

  • The certification is voluntary.
  • It must be updated annually.
  • Certification is conducted by independent third party laboratories.
  • The criteria for OEKO-TEX testing is reviewed every year, so they’re always up to date.
  • The testing takes into account every conceivable way that harmful substances can enter the body.
  • OEKO-TEX is a global standard, so it’s the same in every country.

OEKO-TEX® ECO PASSPORT is an independent certification system for chemicals, colourants and auxiliaries used in the textile and leather industry. During a multistep process, they analyse whether each individual ingredient in the chemical product meets the statutory requirements and that it is not harmful to human health. 

The textile chemicals certified in accordance with the ECO PASSPORT have been tested for harmful substances in critical concentrations as listed in the ECO PASSPORT standard. 

Momentum Sustainable fabric and wall covering

Glossary of Terms

California 01350 is a Special Environmental Requirements standard specification developed by the State of California to cover key environmental performance issues related to the selection and handling of building materials.

Crypton Green logo

Both Crypton and Crypton Green fabrics use green chemistry and eco-friendly processes. The only difference between Crypton and Crypton Green is the fibre content of the fabric. Crypton chemistry does not use halogenated FRs, including PBDEs, and is GREENGUARD Certified helping to create healthier indoor environments.

Crypton Green fabrics are constructed with optimized fibres containing one of the following:

  • 50-100% recycled polyester
  • 100% heavy-metal-free polyester
  • 100% wool with heavy-metal-free-dyes
  • 100% polypropylene

While the selection of Crypton Green alone will not garner points, it may contribute to the following LEED-CI v.2.0 credits and their corresponding credits in the Green Guide for Health Care:

  • Credit MR 3.3, Resource Reuse – 30% Furniture and Furnishings (1 point)
  • Credits MR 4.1 and 4.2, Recycled Content (1 or 2 points)
  • Credit MR 5.2, Regional Materials – 10% Extracted and Manufactured Regionally (1 point)
  • Credit MR 6, Rapidly Renewable Materials (1 point)
  • Credit EQ 4.5, Low-Emitting Materials, Systems Furniture, and Seating (1 point)
  • Credits ID 1.1-1.4, Innovation in Design (1 to 4 points)

C-Zero = PFAS Free

Crypton pioneered the industry with trademarked “C-Zero technology,” which has become a commonly used reference when speaking about fluorine-free fabrics. Crypton’s proprietary PFAS-Free technology has been available in successful C-Zero fabric collections since 2018 (inc. Momentum Textiles)

Since October 1, 2022 all Crypton fabrics are PFAS-Free, therefore the brand C-Zero is being phased out.

An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is a comprehensive document that communicates transparent and standardised information about the environmental performance of a product throughout its life cycle.

It is a tool used in sustainability assessments to provide quantitative data on the environmental impact of products, typically based on a set of predefined criteria and methodologies.

The key aspects are:

  • Life Cycle Assessment (LCA): EPDs are based on Life Cycle Assessment, which evaluates the environmental impacts associated with all stages of a product’s life cycle, from raw material extraction through production, use, and disposal.
  • Standardised Reporting: EPDs follow internationally recognised standards such as ISO 14025 and EN 15804, ensuring consistency and comparability across different products and industries.
  • Environmental Impact Categories: EPDs typically report on various environmental impact categories such as greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption, water usage, waste generation, and other relevant indicators.
  • Functional Unit: EPDs express environmental performance relative to a functional unit, which represents the product’s intended function or use. This allows for meaningful comparisons between products with different designs, sizes, or applications.

A Health Product Declaration (HPD) is a standardised format for disclosing the contents and associated health information of products, designed to promote transparency and informed decision-making regarding the health impacts of materials used in design and construction.

Key components and purposes of an HPD:

  • Transparency: HPDs provide detailed information about the chemical composition of products, including any potentially harmful substances.
  • Health Information: HPDs disclose any health hazards associated with the materials used in a product, as well as any potential health impacts throughout the product’s lifecycle.
  • Standardisation: HPDs follow a standardised format, making it easier for manufacturers to create consistent disclosures and for users to compare products across different brands.
  • Compliance and Certification: Some building certification programs, such as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), reward projects that use products with HPDs.
  • Supply Chain Transparency: HPDs encourage transparency throughout the supply chain by requiring manufacturers to disclose information about the raw materials, chemical constituents, and manufacturing processes used in their products.

PFAS (Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances) refers to a family of chemicals used across many industries to manufacture thousands of everyday products. They are used to make coatings and products that resist heat, oil, stains, grease, and water. One of these elements is fluorine.

While more than 5,000 known substances contain fluorines, not all are the same. There are the “concerning” fluorines such as PFOA, PFOS and “C8” and there are “preferred” fluorines of no controversy, including some used in common pharmaceuticals.

Fabrics have contained these trace amounts of fluorine because it is the only known element to repel oil. However Crypton’s PFAS-free formulation nonetheless allows the successful removal of oil-based stains using simple cleaning methods.

Read more in our Worry-Free and PFAS-Free blog post.

PHTHALATES are esters of phthalic acid commonly used to make PVC flexible. 

Phthalates are used in hundreds of products, probably the most visible as seating upholstery, and are commonly referred to as ‘plasticisers.’ 

These plasticisers are locked within the PVC.

There is considerable conjecture as to the safety of Phthalates and many manufacturers are finding alternative means of creating the necessary flexibility, badging them as Phthalate-free.

On the other hand, many Government scientific agencies and regulatory bodies worldwide, have supported the safety of phthalates in commercial products.

Pre-consumer recycled polyester is also known as post-industrial recycled polyester. It refers to polyester and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic products that are diverted from landfill during manufacturing. These are then collected and processed into polyester pellets that are melted and then extruded into yarn. For example, remnants of our acoustic panels are collected and re-used, diverted from the waste stream.

This is polyester generated from household or commercial plastic waste, or collected from landfill, oceans and other environments. This is then gathered and processed into polyester pellets that are melted and then extruded into yarn.

Post-industrial recycled polyester is also known as pre-consumer recycled polyester. It refers to polyester and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic products that are diverted from landfill during manufacturing. These are then collected and processed into polyester pellets that are melted and then extruded into yarn. For example, remnants of our acoustic panels are collected and re-used, diverted from the waste stream.

Proposition 65 became law in 1986 and requires businesses to provide warnings to Californians about significant exposures to chemicals that cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm. These chemicals can be in the products that Californians purchase, in their homes or workplaces, or that are released into the environment.

‘PVC free’ means that it does not contain Polyvinyl Chloride, a significant source of phthalates, also known as plasticisers.

Vinyl is commonly used as a shorthand name for Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) plastic, as used in a range of products from flooring to siding to wall covering. Most commonly, when a product is referred to as “vinyl,” it is comprised primarily of PVC.

A rapidly renewable material is defined by the US Green Building Council as material considered to be an agricultural product, both fibre and animal, that takes 10 years or less to grow or raise, and to harvest in an ongoing and sustainable fashion.

REPREVE® is made by Unifi, a leading global textile solutions company. 

It is a sustainable, certifiable, recycled, high-quality performance fibre made from recycled materials (including plastic bottles) The process embeds properties like wicking, adaptive warming and cooling, water repellency, and more at the fibre level.

REACH stands for Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals. It is an EU regulation.

You can read more about it with useful links on the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care website.

Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are gases that are emitted into the air from products or processes. Some are harmful by themselves, including some that cause cancer. In addition, they can react with other gases and form other air pollutants after they are in the air.

Certifications such as GREENGUARD involve rigorous testing and evaluation of products to ensure that they emit low levels of VOCs and other harmful pollutants into indoor air.