Breaking Down the Claims: A Look at Product Labels and Certifications

Blog in Brief

Owens Corning has focused on reducing the company’s carbon footprint and increasing its “handprint” for several years. The company’s handprint is the positive effect Owens Corning, its practices, products and people have on the environment. This interest has led to multiple initiatives regarding ways to help make more sustainable or less energy-intensive products. It also has resulted in a range of certifications and labels indicating the steps taken. However, it can sometimes be a challenge to keep track of what specific labels or certifications mean and what their significance to a building or renovation project might be – especially because several labels address multiple areas like responsible sourcing and reduced energy use or improved health potential. Below we take a look at several of the commonly referenced certifications, highlight their relevance and provide examples of products that carry these approvals.

Breaking Down the Claims: A Look at Product Labels and Certifications

Focused on health and safety

UL GREENGUARD and GREENGUARD Gold

What it means – Having these certifications means that a product has met specific standards established regarding releasing low emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into indoor air. GREENGUARD Gold also requires health-based criteria be reviewed for a wider selection of chemicals and allows a lower level of VOC emissions.

Why it’s relevant – Products that meet the UL GREENGUARD certification have been assessed using rigorous, third-party testing to identify chemical emissions, meaning their use in a project helps limit indoor air pollution and lower the potential for chemical exposure. Sharing that a product meets the GREENGUARD Gold standard helps identify products that can be used in restricted-use spaces like healthcare facilities and schools.

Associated products – A list of products that have met the GREENGUARD Gold standard is available here.

Formaldehyde-free claim verification

What it means – The claim that a product does not contain formaldehyde or formaldehyde precursors must be independently validated by UL Environment. The validation process includes audits on raw material inputs and testing the product’s chemical emissions. Products seeking the Formaldehyde Free validation also must maintain a UL GREENGUARD Gold certification.

Why it’s relevant – Formaldehyde released into indoor air can be an irritant and may prompt asthma attacks in people with asthma. Clearly communicating a product’s formaldehyde emissions and content improves transparency and marketplace clarity.

Associated products – A list of products that have been certified as free from formaldehyde can be found here.

Asthma and allergy friendly

What it means – Materials that earn the certification from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) are assessed for the indoor release of VOCs or irritants that could pose problems for people with sensitive airways.

Why it’s relevant – The designation helps consumers, designers and architects find products that make a difference in the air quality for an indoor environment, allowing for a more informed choice.

Associated products – Owens Corning’s PureSafety® High Performance insulation was the first building insulation product to earn a certification from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America as being more suitable for those with allergies or asthma.

SAFETY (Support Anti-terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies) Act certification

What it means – Retroactively applicable from January 1, 2006, the SAFETY Act Designation is an acknowledgment from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The recognition provides builders and building owners liability protection if an act of terrorism damages the building or structure using these building materials.

Why it’s relevant – The act helps protect companies that develop and sell qualified anti-terrorism technologies that could help save lives if a terrorist attack occurred. The goal of the program was to encourage the creation and use of new anti-terrorism products and solutions.

Associated products – A list of materials that have earned the designation is available here.

Focused on material information and transparency

Health Product Declaration (HPD)

What it means – This declaration reports the components of a product and details any potential hazards associated with these elements. The reporting process follows a series of regulations established by the Health Product Declaration Collaborative (HPDC). The report compares the ingredients used to a set of priority hazard lists created using the GreenScreen for Safer Chemicals, along with lists from other agencies.

Why it’s relevant – HPDs are a way to provide additional transparency about a product and increase trust with consumers. Additionally, collecting enough HPDs when designing a building can be used to help work toward specific certifications like LEED or a WELL Building certification.

Associated products – Products with HPDs are available for review in the HDP Public Repository here. 

Declare labels

What it means – Operated by the International Living Future Institutes (ILFI), the program established a “nutrition label”-type fact box for use on building materials. When the label is used on building products, it provides a way for manufacturers to specify the ingredients used in a product – hence the comparison with a nutrition label. It also indicates that the product complies with the Living Building Challenge (LBC) red list, meaning the product either does not include any of the chemicals on the list or has disclosed the presence of a red list chemical.

Why it’s relevant – The product transparency platform is seeking to change the market for materials by sharing the health information of products. This information allows designers, architects and individuals to understand the components in a product. It also provides manufacturers of ecologically sound products a way to highlight elements including embodied carbon or wood sourcing.

Associated products –The list of products that carry Declare labels can be found here.

Focused on the environment and energy efficiency 

Environmental product declaration (EPD)

What it means – These documents provide information about a product’s environmental impacts throughout its life cycle. They’re verified and registered by third-party reviewers.

Why it’s relevant – Having the declaration provides more information for consumers, designers and architects interested in using green building practices. They also can help contribute to credits used in different green building certification programs or aid in meeting regulatory requirements.

Associated products – More information on the EPDs available for specific products is available here.

Product transparency summaries

What it means – A short summary of the environmental footprint for specific products. The synopses include assessment of the products’ carbon footprints and embodied carbon results. Many of Owens Corning’s products have these available.

Why it’s relevant – Improving transparency by providing a short easy to understand summary of key results from an EPD.

Associated products – Several Owens Corning products have summaries detailing their environmental footprints. Examples can be found here.

Recycled content certification

What it means – To increase the transparency of product claims and labels, Owens Corning uses third-party certifiers or laboratories to validate claims made. Regarding statements about how much recycled or reused material is included in a product, the company turns to organizations like International Code Council Evaluation Services (ICC-ES) and Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) Global Services for verification. Their analyses review the total percentage of recycled content, and that recycling is done according to applicable standards.

Why it’s relevant – Recycling components is one of the ways that Owens Corning can commit to being efficient in production and being a steward of water use during production. Additionally, a commitment to recycling materials is part of the company’s pledge to send zero waste to the landfill by 2030. Meeting this goal means employing circular production practices, including recycling by-products and limiting the introduction of new raw materials by relying on components like recycled glass.

Associated products – Details about Owens Corning recycled content certifications can be found here. 

Reduced embodied carbon/ 100% wind energy

What it means – In 2015, Owens Corning agreed to a purchase agreement for 250 megawatts of new wind energy generation capacity. This support helped build two new wind farms in Texas and Oklahoma that generate 1.1m megawatt hours of electricity annually. For every megawatt hour of energy produced, Owens Corning receives one renewable energy credit (REC) that can be applied toward the manufacturing of a product. The system was verified by SCS Global Services’ certification protocol, which validated that 100% wind power was used to make the products.*

Why it’s relevant – Using renewable energy to manufacture products lowers the carbon footprint for that product, providing a lower-carbon product for use by architects, specifiers, builders and homeowners. For individuals, the certification means they can reduce their personal carbon footprints when using these products. For architects or builders, lower-carbon products provide a way to build structures with a reduced lifecycle effect, potentially making it easier to achieve other goals like meeting the qualifications for the Architecture 2030 Challenge or the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED certification.

Associated products – More information on specific Owens Corning products that carry this label is available here.

ECOLOGO®

What it means – The label denotes certified products have a reduced environmental effect. The certification is voluntary, but it covers multiple attributes and uses lifecycle-based environmental certifications requiring products to go through scientific testing and auditing, ensuring that materials meet third-party environmental standards.

Why it’s relevant – Having an ECOLOGO® certification identifies products that have a reduced environmental effect, which can provide an economic benefit and competitive edge. It also helps identify products for architects, designers and consumers interested in using environmentally responsible products or potentially seeking some certifications. Although not as widely recognized in the U.S., this label is popular in Canada.

Associated products – A list of products carrying the ECOLOGO certification is available through UL Spot here.

USDA BioPreferred/Biobased

What it means – The USDA Certified Biobased labeling initiative is part of the U.S. Farm Bill. The intention behind the label is to promote the use of biobased products made using renewable agricultural materials. To earn the designation, products must be reviewed by an accredited laboratory and certified by the USDA.

Why it’s relevant – Supporting use of biobased products helps reduce reliance on petroleum and petroleum-based products. Carrying the label helps identify products for designers and consumers interested in using more sustainable or plant-based materials.

Associated products – A list of Owens Corning products that carry the designation is available here. 

ENERGY STAR® certification

What it means – This voluntary program run by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) seeks to help businesses and individuals protect the climate and save money by improving their energy efficiency. The ENERGY STAR® program includes dozens of separate efficiency-focused initiatives. Owens Corning takes part in the certification, including Seal and Insulate with ENERGY STAR.

Why it’s relevant – Selecting building materials based on anticipated energy saving helps the end users of those buildings save money. It also helps protect the environment by reducing the need for energy generation, lowering greenhouse gas emissions and improving air quality. In 2019, the program reports that ENERGY STAR helped save almost 500 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity and reduced energy costs by about $39 billion.

Associated products – A list of products that received ENERGY STAR certification is available here.

Conclusion

Owens Corning’s long-running focus on sustainability and transparency have resulted in multiple third party-verified accreditations for products. The overall intention of these practices is to reduce the company’s footprint while expanding the positive influence – or handprint – the company has on the environment and society.

Check out our sustainability page to learn more.

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