Posted April 28, 2014

 

Glen Raven Custom Fabrics has reinforced its NSF/ANSI 336 Sustainability Assessment with third-party certification by UL Environment, a company providing independent validation of green marketing claims.

 

More than 50 patterns in the Sunbrella Contract fabric line, including those with Defiance® treatment, carry the Silver Level certification.

 

Glen Raven Custom Fabrics self-certified two of its fabrics – a filling-face twill and plain-weave canvas – under the standard in 2011, the first company to do so since the Association of Contract Textiles (ACT) instituted the sustainability standard for commercial furnishings fabrics. An expanded self-assessment of more than 35 fabrics followed in February 2013.

 

“This certification reinforces our commitment to the principles which ACT is encouraging in the market, and our shared view that fabric can be a superior example of sustainable design and performance working together,” said John Gant, manager of sustainable development for Glen Raven Custom Fabrics. “We will continue to support ACT in their mission to educate the contract market about this standard and its integration into the design of commercial furniture.”

 

This spring, ACT is launching its "Facts" certification program, which leverages the NSF/ANSI 336 standard to identify sustainable fabrics and helps promote those products to the trade. Sunbrella Contract fabrics have earned the distinction to carry the “Facts” mark.

 

The NSF/ANSI 336 Standard is a voluntary sustainability assessment tool that encompasses a range of environmental practices, including fabric sourcing, safety of materials, water conservation, water quality, energy conservation, recycling practices, air quality in manufacturing and social accountability.

 

UL Environment visited Glen Raven’s manufacturing operations to evaluate the processes and materials, and certified that 50 patterns of Sunbrella Contract fabrics comply with the environmental and social responsibility criteria set forth in the NSF/ANSI 336 system.

 

“Sunbrella Contract fabrics must live up to Glen Raven’s own rigorous testing and quality standards,” said Allen Hawks, contract market manager for Glen Raven Custom Fabrics. “Securing UL Environment certification was the next step in affirming our commitment to our customers and to the environment.”

 

Included in the third-party certification is Heritage, a Sunbrella fabric that uses post-industrial recycled fiber. UL Environment audited this unique process and supply chain, and confirmed its integrity and value under the NSF336 standard.

 

“While the feature of recycled content is truly important, it is also vital that the processing and treatments are carefully designed so that the complete product maintains its environmental value,” Gant said.

 

Sunbrella Contract fabrics are currently available through a number of contract partners serving the hospitality, healthcare, corporate and education markets, including Carnegie, CF Stinson, Designtex, HBF Textiles, Maharam, Pallas Textiles, Robert Allen Contract, Sina Pearson Textiles and Weitzner.