The First Facility Management Blog

A total of 20 products under the BOLYU Contract and Cambridge Commercial product lines have been certified to meet the NSF 140-2007 Standard. This new sustainable carpet assessment standard establishes performance requirements for public health and the environment, and addresses the economic, environmental and social requirements that can help create a path to a more sustainable carpet product. The standard also provides benchmarks for continual improvement and innovation within the building industry. 

NSF International, a not-for-profit organization that provides standards development and product certification, has certified all Nexterra^® branded commercial tile product manufactured at Beaulieu’s Adairsville and Chatsworth, GA facilities. Nexterra is a tile backing that contains 85% post-consumer recycled content and uses zero water in its manufacturing.

The BOLYU Contract and Cambridge Commercial product lines were certified at the platinum level, the standard’s highest and most rigorous certification level.  Beaulieu Commercial is the first carpet manufacturer to have products certified by NSF International to this new NSF/ANSI standard.

To read TFM’s coverage of NSF 140-2007, visit this link to an article by Robert Peoples, Ph.D., formerly director of Sustainability for the Carpet & Rug Institute and executive director of The Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE).

“It’s a remarkable achievement for Beaulieu to have all their Nexterra branded tile products certified at the platinum level,” said NSF president and CEO Kevan P. Lawlor.  “The platinum level certification establishes Beaulieu as a leader in environmental stewardship within the carpet industry and further validates Beaulieu’s commitment to creating a more sustainable future.”

Certification is achieved on a point-based evaluation system through five different categories.  The new standard takes into account sustainability issues as it relates to manufacturing processes; reclamation and end-of-life management; energy usage and energy efficiency; the use of bio-based, recycled or environmentally preferable materials; and steps an organization takes to minimize adverse public health, environment and community impacts.

“From a sustainability standpoint, NSF 140-2007 is one of the more important initiatives for the floor covering industry,” said Beaulieu Commercial president James Lesslie.  “The NSF140 Standard is what our customers have requested for years:  one standard that can be used to compare products.”

The commercial carpet manufacturer will now use renewable energy to power 100% of its operations. The company will use renewable, “green” energy to directly power a portion of its manufacturing operations and will offset its remaining energy use through the purchase of Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) from wind power producers throughout the country.

Located is Adairsville, GA, Beaulieu Commercial is designated as a member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Green Power Partners’ Leadership Club. Although not required by the EPA, the company’s renewable power sources are all third-party certified by the non-profit Center for Resource Solutions’ Green-E program.

In recent years, Beaulieu Commercial has established itself on the leading edge of corporate environmental stewardship. In addition to its energy conservation and waste management best practices, Beaulieu Commercial includes post-consumer recycled content in 100% of its products. And the company’s Nexterra® tile backing contains 85% post-consumer recycled content.

For Beaulieu Commercial president James Lesslie, investing in the larger issue of global climate change was a logical next step for the company. “People don’t always realize that in the U.S., the largest source of carbon-heavy greenhouse gasses comes, not from automobiles, but from coal-fired electric power plants,” he says, noting that these emissions lead to smog and acid rain, and are believed to increase the risk of climate change.

“When power from conventional power plants is replaced by renewable energy, the release of potentially harmful carbon dioxide is avoided,” continues Lesslie. “Beaulieu Commercial’s 2008 green power purchase represents over 12 million pounds of emissions that won’t be going into the atmosphere. That’s the equivalent of taking more than 1,200 cars off our roads, and it is the best way for an organization to reduce its carbon footprint.”

This commitment to green energy entitles Beaulieu Commercial to display the Green-E Certified Renewable Energy logos on all of its products and corporate communications.

About Beaulieu Commercial
Beaulieu Commercial manufactures and markets stylish, technically superior carpet for all segments of the contract design market under the three registered brands: BOLYU Contract; Cambridge Commercial; and Aqua Hospitality.