Sustainable Fabric Certification

Association for Contract Textiles - "Facts" EcoLabel

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Vikas Ahuja

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What is Sustainable Fabric Certification?

Facts certification recognizes contract textiles that conform to and are third-party certified under the multi-attribute standard, Association for Contract Textiles NSF/ANSI 336. Certification to the standard enhances the market value of your sustainable fabrics used in commercial furniture and furnishing applications in public-occupancy settings like offices, hotels, hospitals, and other institutional interiors. There are four conformance ratings utilized in the standard which provide sustainability thresholds for certified textiles. The Facts certification mark demonstrates to your specifiers and customers that you are committed to social and environmental excellence.

Key benefits of Facts certification under the NSF/ANSI 336 standard:

  • Supports your internal sustainability management objectives.
  • Assures customers and stakeholders that your certified products are held to industry-leading social and environmental standards.
  • Helps you meet state and federal procurement requirements.
  • Establishes a path for continuous improvement and alignment with broader sustainability goals.

Why Choose SCS?

SCS' expertise across sustainable textile supply chains ensures that your NSF/ANSI 336 certification assessment is performed credibly and efficiently. In addition to our accreditation by Association for Contract Textiles, we helped develop the Textile Exchange’s Global Recycled Standard, and established the SCS Certified Responsible Source™ program for synthetic polymer and fiber textile inputs. Specifying materials from Responsible Source™ certified suppliers pre-qualifies you for credit under the NSF/ANSI 336 standard.

  • Program Details
  • Process
  • Resources
Eligibility

A variety of fabrics can be assessed against NSF/ANSI 336, including woven, non-woven, bonded and knitted fabrics used for upholstery (e.g. office and hotel furniture), as well as vertical fabrics (e.g. drapery, panel system fabrics) and decorative top-of-bed applications (e.g. bedspreads) that are commonly used in institutional, hospitality and office settings.

Certification Criteria

Facts certification under NSF/ANSI 336 requires third-party evaluation of conformity to criteria under eight specific categories. Half of the evaluation focuses on fiber composition, and the other half addresses fabric manufacturing:

  • Fiber Composition 
    • Fiber sourcing (20%)
    • Material safety (30%)
  • Fiber Manufacturing
    • Water conservation and quality (12%)
    • Energy (12%)
    • Recycling practices (12%)
    • Social accountability (12%)
    • Air quality (2%)
Certification Tiers

Once a textile meets all NSF/ANSI 336 prerequisites, certification is awarded upon one of four levels depending on the total points earned:

  • Compliant (16 - 36 points)
  • Silver (37 - 57 points)
  • Gold (58 - 78 points)
  • Platinum (79 -100 points)
 
Complementary Services

SCS offers additional multi-attribute green building certification programs, including BIFMA level® for furniture, SCS Certified Responsible Source™ for synthetic polymer and fiber textile inputs, and SCS Certified Recycled Content.

  1. Apply for Certification

    Complete and submit an SCS Application Form. SCS scopes the project based on information provided in the application and prepares a proposal for your approval with suggested timeline and quote. Once you approve the proposal and sign a Work Order, an account manager is assigned to guide you through the certification process.

  2. Data Collection

    A SCS technical associate helps you assemble preliminary data. SCS reviews the product data, corporate documentation, manufacturing process, product formulation, testing, etc., and assesses your readiness for an audit. Once sufficient data is collected, an auditor is assigned.

  3. On-site Audit

    The auditor conducts an on-site audit to evaluate your data. The auditor interacts with your technical staff to clarify and obtain any additional information that might prove essential to reaching an accurate supportable evaluation.

  4. Draft Assessment Report

    The auditor writes a draft assessment report that details the findings of the audit, including data analysis, non-conformities, and opportunities for improvement.

  5. Internal peer review

    A second qualified SCS auditor reviews the report, making any necessary corrections or changes before the report is sent to the client.

  6. Corrective Actions

    You respond to any non-conformities with a corrective action plan, and may also make comments and responses to the information contained in the report and the conclusions drawn by the auditor.

  7. Certification Decision

    SCS conducts a final technical review of the assessment report and makes the final certification decision. If certification is granted, SCS issues the certificate and final report to your facility or operation. Once certified, your company is listed in the Green Products Guide on the SCS website. SCS can also provide client marketing support.

  8. Certification Maintenance and Renewal

    Product certificates are valid for 5 years and periodic reviews must be conducted to maintain your certification and support continuous improvement.

Standard

NSF/ANSI 336 - NSF Bookstore

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Vikas Ahuja

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