Carnegie First to Earn NSF International Sustainability Certification for Two Furnishing Fabrics

NSF Sustainability, a division of global independent public health organization NSF International, has certified Carnegie’s Xorel® and Biobased Xorel® fabrics to NSF/ANSI 336: Sustainability Assessment for Commercial Furnishings Fabric at the Gold (Bio Xorel) and Silver (Xorel) levels.

NSF/ANSI 336 drives the commercial furnishing fabrics industry to a more sustainable future with sustainability performance requirements for commercial fabrics throughout their life cycle and supply chain. As the first company to earn third-party certification to NSF/ANSI 336 through NSF International, Carnegie is able to differentiate its product with customers seeking more sustainable interior furnishings solutions.

Designers, architects, facility managers, purchasing professionals, and contractors now utilize the standard to specify and obtain reliable and more sustainable fabric products. This includes local, state, and federal government agencies and others attempting to comply with U.S. Executive Order 13514, which helps ensure that 95 percent of government contracts include products and services with sustainable attributes (e.g. energy and water efficiency, recycled content). Many of these sustainable attributes are included in the criteria for NSF/ANSI 336.

“The architectural and design communities are demanding verified sustainable fabric products. Earning NSF third-party certification for our sustainable Xorel and Bio Xorel products is the most credible way of communicating to our customers that we are committed to minimizing the environmental impacts of our products,” said Charles Griffin, Director of Technical Services for Carnegie.

“NSF International certification to NSF/ANSI 336 provides Carnegie’s customers with a highly credible way of identifying and differentiating sustainable products. It also favorably positions Carnegie as a leader in its industry by gaining third-party certification ahead of competitors,” said Tom Bruursema, General Manager of NSF Sustainability.

How NSF/ANSI 336 Certification Works
Similar to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification for buildings, NSF/ANSI 336 assigns point values to fabrics in a number of categories. The number of category points earned is used to determine the product certification level as conformant, silver, gold, or platinum.

A variety of fabrics can be certified to the standard, 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 and panel system fabrics) and decorative top of bed applications (e.g. bedspreads) that are commonly used in institutional, hospitality, and office settings. NSF/ANSI 336 is a multi-attribute standard that evaluates commercial fabrics against established requirements, performance criteria, and quantifiable metrics in eight key areas: fiber sourcing, safety of materials, water conservation, water quality, social accountability, air quality, energy, and recycling practices in manufacturing and end of use.

Carnegie Xorel and Bio Xorel materials are versatile furnishing fabrics with diverse design options and sustainable attributes. Products meeting all certification requirements are authorized to bear the NSF Sustainability Certified mark and are included on NSF International's website.

NSF/ANSI 336 was developed by the NSF National Center for Sustainability Standards (NCSS) through a consensus-based public process with a multi-stakeholder group of manufacturers, suppliers, regulatory agencies, academicians, and other industry participants.