Sunbrella certified by Greenguard

Staff -- Casual Living, 9/1/2007 12:00:00 AM

Sunbrella fabrics have been certified by the Greenguard Environmental Institute as a low-emitting product. The certification assures architects, specifiers, building owners and homeowners that they can use Sunbrella fabrics indoors with the confidence that these fabrics will contribute to healthy indoor air.

Sunbrella also received the Greenguard Children & Schools Certification, which requires products to meet even more stringent standards to help limit pollutant exposure in schools and other settings that serve children and sensitive individuals.

The Greenguard Certification Program, an industry independent, third-party testing program for low-emitting products and materials, subjected Sunbrella fabrics to extensive testing to determine whether these fabrics emit harmful air pollutants. The fabrics met the established criteria for low chemical emissions and have been added to the Greenguard Online Product Guide at www.greenguard.org. This guide is easily accessible at no charge to anyone seeking products that will help protect indoor air quality.

"The level of interest in environmentally responsible products has never been greater than it is today," said Carl E. Smith, CEO of GEI, the Atlanta-based nonprofit organization. "With so many products claiming to be 'green,' the Greenguard Certification Program represents an objective evaluation of one aspect of being an increasingly sustainable product."

"The Sunbrella brand has always been a product based on trust and integrity," said Vince Hankins, new business development manager for Glen Raven Custom Fabrics, the makers of Sunbrella fabrics. "With our growth as an interior fabric, we believe it is important to continue to promote trust in our brand with the type of independent testing and certification provided by Greenguard."

According to Hankins, the voluntary Greenguard certification is part of a three-pronged strategy to increase the sustainability of Glen Raven's products.

Glen Raven's environmental sustainability program includes the elimination of waste throughout manufacturing processes and in its supply chain; commitment to relevant metrics to measure company performance through third-party verification; and the use of more environmentally friendly processes and components through product lifecycle analysis.