According to EcoLogo vice president, Kevin Gallagher, there are many types of thermal insulation materials and products on the market today. They are used chiefly in the construction of homes, offices, and other facilities to reduce the amount of energy necessary for heating and cooling. However, the manufacture, use, and disposal of these products can negatively affect the atmosphere.
“Using recycled materials and less toxic ingredients and options will help decrease the amount of materials entering the waste stream, reduce total resource consumption, and protect the environment,” says Gallagher.
The new guidelines, referred to as CCD-016, as with all EcoLogo certification standards, are designed to help improve and/or maintain environmental quality by reducing energy and materials consumption. Among the companies that currently have products CCD-016 certified include:
•Can-Cell Industries Inc.
•Climatizer Insulation Inc.
•DEMILEC Inc.
•Johns Manville Canada Inc.
•Plasti-Fab Ltd.
•Thermo-Cell Industries Ltd.
Additionally, EcoLogo works with organizations in a variety of other industries—building, construction, automotive, cleaning, and others—to help manufacturers minimize the pollution generated by the production, use, and disposal of products and materials.
“More attention has been paid to thermal insulation use in buildings in recent times,” says Gallagher. “This is because of economic and environmental concerns such as global warming and the excessive use of energy and nonrenewable resources to manufacturer these products.”
Under the new guidelines, certification will be awarded to those manufacturers and products that demonstrate environmental leadership and meet requirements for:
•Product performance
•Reduced use of natural resources
•Restricted use of ingredients contributing to specific impacts such as ozone depletion, global warming, and ground-level smog formation
•Elimination of toxic materials such as formaldehyde
“The building and construction industry is one of our primary focuses because so many different products are used to build facilities,” says Gallagher. “The Greener the construction materials used, the healthier it is for building occupants and the smaller the impact on the environment.”
