UL is proud to be an approved certification body for the Association for Contract Textiles' Facts certification. Facts certification indicates that a textile has met NSF/ANSI 336, a multi-attribute sustainability standard that evaluates products for environmental, economic and social attributes, and gives purchasers and specifiers confidence that they are selecting a product with sustainable aspects.
The purpose of the NSF/ANSI 336 standard is to address the environmental, economic and social aspects of commercial furnishings fabric used in commercial spaces. The standard considers criteria from a product's lifecycle to get a complete picture of the inputs, outputs and environmental impacts of textile products across a product's lifespan. The standard is applicable to a variety of contract fabric types used in public spaces such as office, hospitality, healthcare and institutional interiors.
As a multi-attribute sustainability standard, NSF 336 considers eight sustainability parameters that carry varying weight in the total point make up. Fifty percent comprises the fiber 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.
UL is an approved testing body for Facts certification. UL's deep expertise in sustainable certification programs and eco-labels, in addition to a dedicated furniture industry team, delivers exceptional customer service that provides a distinct advantage for customers.
Once a manufacturer has achieved certification, they receive the Facts certification mark, which can be used to promote their certification to the marketplace. This mark is an invaluable marketing tool that reassures buyers of a company's credibility, while serving as a key differentiator.