UL Now Serving as Official Green Squared(SM) Certifier, Awards Certification to Three Tile Manufacturers

This expansion of UL's service offerings gives manufacturers yet another tool to address evolving sustainability requirements

MARIETTA, Ga., June 5, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- UL, a global safety science company, announced today that it has awarded Green Squared(SM) certification to three leading tile product manufacturers as part of a new collaboration with the Tile Council of North America (TCNA).

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"The addition of the Green Squared certification offering to our growing portfolio of sustainability solutions is a testament to our commitment to helping manufacturers achieve their environmental goals," says Sara Greenstein, president of UL Environment, a business unit of UL. "Sustainability requirements for building materials are constantly evolving, and manufacturers need a partner they can trust to guide them through it."

Green Squared is a multi-attribute sustainability certification program for ceramic tile, glass tile, and tile installation materials. Developed by the Tile Council of North America (TCNA) with participation from organizations such as UL, Green Squared certification helps manufacturers to demonstrate industry leadership and provides them with a competitive advantage.

Early pursuers of Green Squared certification through UL include the largest U.S.-based tile manufacturer Dal-Tile Corporation, Mexican-based ceramic tile manufacturer Porcelanite-Lamosa, and Florida Tile, the U.S.-based division of global tile manufacturer Panariagroup.  

"In any given project, architects and designers have to make hundreds of product choices, but by looking for the Green Squared service mark, they can be confident they are choosing a truly sustainable tile or installation material product," says Robert Hurt, director of environmental health and safety at Dal-Tile Corporation. "At Dal-Tile, we have fully incorporated the Green Squared initiative by requiring our tile manufacturing plants to be evaluated by UL Environment. All products made at our U.S. manufacturing plants and our Monterrey, Mexico, operations were included in the UL Environment audit process with the end result being over 300 individual products achieving Green Squared Certification. So, our customers can be confident that they have a wide selection of American Olean and Daltile manufactured products to choose from, all of which meet the ceramic tile industry's toughest green standards."

"Our company has a long history, dating back more than 120 years, and our commitment to the highest quality standards is strong. We are proud that our commitment has grown to include sustainability," says Luis Basurto, energy resources manager of Porcelanite-Lamosa. "Working with UL helped provide the assurance and recognition we sought to prove our ceramic tiles met the Green Squared certification – a very high environmental standard in our industry."

"Florida Tile has been on the forefront of sustainable manufacturing for decades, but didn't have a good way to prove it to people. We were very active in developing the Green Squared standard and were delighted that we finally had a certification that went beyond the product and looked at the manufacturing facility and company, as well," says Dan Marvin, director of quality assurance and technical services at Florida Tile. "Florida Tile appreciates the professional third-party approach that UL brought to the certification process. This is proof we can feel confident about sharing with our customers." 

The Green Squared certification is based on ANSI standard A138.1, which evaluates everything from a tile's manufacture and raw material extraction to end-of-life management, progressive corporate governance, and innovation.  To be certified, a tile product must meet all prerequisites and a certain number of elective requirements, which vary by product type. Green Squared is one of a growing number of certification programs, including level® and NSF, that manufacturers working with UL can take advantage of.

For more information on Green Squared certification through UL, visit www.ul.com/environment.

About UL Environment
UL Environment, a business unit of UL, works to advance global sustainability, environmental health, and safety by supporting the growth and development of environmentally preferable products, services, and organizations. We help companies achieve their sustainability goals—and help purchasers, specifiers, retailers, governments, and consumers find products they can trust. UL Environment offers environmental claim validations, multi-attribute product certifications, environmental product declarations, indoor air quality certification, product emissions testing, organizational sustainability certification, and consulting. For more information, visit www.ul.com/environment.

About UL
UL is a premier global safety science company with more than 100 years of proven history. Employing nearly 9,000 professionals in 46 countries, UL is evolving the future of safety with five distinct business units – Product Safety, Environment, Life & Health, Verification and Knowledge Services – to meet the expanding needs of customers and the global public. For more information on UL's family of companies and network of 95 laboratory, testing, and certification facilities, go to www.UL.com.

SOURCE UL Environment