ANSI Approves New Sustainable Carpet Standard

The Washington-based American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has approved NSF 140-2007,
Sustainable Carpet Assessment Standard, as an American National Standard. It is the first
multi-attribute ANSI-approved standard for environmentally preferable building materials. The
approval also gives the US carpet industry the distinction of being the first industry to have a
unified sustainable standard for the entire United States.

The standard was developed over the last five years by a group that included government
representatives, manufacturers, consumers and other stakeholders, with guidance from Ann Arbor,
Mich.-based NSF International. NSF 140-2007 now offers the carpet industry a market-based
definition for a route to creating sustainable carpet, and establishes environmental and
performance requirements for public health; energy and energy efficiency; bio-based, recycled
content and environmentally preferable purchasing materials; manufacturing; reclamation and
end-of-life management.

Carpet products certified with the new standard are expected to be available at retail by the
second quarter of 2008, according to the Dalton, Ga.-based Carpet & Rug Institute.



November 13, 2007

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