Environmental Product Declaration
EcoWorx®
COMMERCIAL CARPET TILE
Shaw Contract Group defines
design not only by great appearance
but also performance and
sustainability. The result is longlasting carpet with vibrant colors,
distinctive patterns, and minimal
environmental impact. As a brand
of Shaw Industries, Shaw Contract
Group combines the expertise
of the world’s largest carpet
manufacturer with the financial
stability of a Berkshire Hathaway
subsidiary.
For more information, visit
shawcontractgroup.com
EcoWorx Tile: The industry’s first fully sustainable, non-PVC carpet tile
backing. It is 100% PVC-free with Silver Cradle to Cradle® Certification
from the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute ensuring safety
for human health and the environment.
Page 1 of 13
EcoWorx®
Commercial Carpet Tile
According to ISO 14025
This declaration is an environmental product declaration in accordance with ISO 14025. This EPD
does not guarantee that any performance benchmarks, including environmental performance
benchmarks, are met. EPDs are intended to compliment Type I environmental performance labels.
EPDs provide LCA-based information and additional information on the environmental aspects of
products and assist purchasers and users to make informed comparisons between products. EPDs are
not comparative assertions. EPDs encourage improvement of environmental performance and provide
information for assessing the environmental impacts of products over their life cycle. EPDs not based
on an LCA covering all life cycle stages, or based on a different PCR, are examples of declarations
that have limited comparability. EPDs from different programs may not be comparable.
PROGRAM OPERATOR
DECLARATION HOLDER
DECLARATION NUMBER
DECLARED PRODUCT
REFERENCE PCR
UL Environment
Shaw Industries Group, Inc.
12CA54711.101.1
EcoWorx® Commercial Carpet Tile
NSF PCR for Flooring (Carpet, Resilient, Laminate, Ceramic, and Wood)
DATE OF ISSUE
PERIOD OF VALIDITY
29 November 2012
5 years
CONTENTS OF THE
DECLARATION
PRODUCT DEFINITION AND INFORMATION ABOUT BUILDING PHYSICS
INFORMATION ABOUT BASIC MATERIAL AND THE MATERIAL’S ORIGIN
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRODUCT’S MANUFACTURE
INDICATION OF PRODUCT PROCESSING
INFORMATION ABOUT THE IN-USE CONDITIONS
LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT RESULTS
TESTING RESULTS AND VERIFICATIONS
The PCR review was conducted by:
NSF International
Accepted by PCR Review Panel
[email protected]
This declaration was independently verified in accordance with ISO
14025 by Underwriters Laboratories
X EXTERNAL
☐ INTERNAL
Loretta Tam
This life cycle assessment was independently verified in
accordance with ISO 14044 and the reference PCR by:
John Jewell
Page 2 of 13
EcoWorx®
Commercial Carpet Tile
According to ISO 14025
Product Definition
Product Classification & Description
EcoWorx® is the flooring industry’s first fully sustainable, non-PVC
carpet tile backing and the world’s first Cradle to Cradle® Silver
Certified commercial carpet tile.
®
EcoWorx contains 44% recycled content by weight, including 33%
pre-consumer recycled content and 11% post-consumer recycled
®
content. While EcoWorx weighs 40% less than traditional carpet tile
backing, making easier to install and more efficient to transport, it also
offers superior performance to traditional PVC-backed tile, with 8
times greater tear strength, 5 times greater tensile strength, and 2
times greater delamination strength.
®
The EcoWorx product line consists of hundreds of styles made using
®
the EcoWorx PVC-free polyolefin composite backing and a Nylon 6
face fiber. This product group was assessed for an average face
weight of 21.3 ounces per square yard (osy) with a maximum of 42
osy and a minimum of 14 osy yarn weights.
All EcoWorx® products come with a global Environmental Guarantee,
which guarantees that when it reaches the end of its useful life, Shaw
will collect and recycle the EcoWorx® into new EcoWorx®.
EcoWorx® products also come with a lifetime commercial warranty
against edge ravel, zippering, delamination, and moisture
degradation.
The recycled content in EcoWorx tile is calculated using system
allocation for the EcoSolution Q face fiber and mass balance
calculations for the EcoWorx backing. Note: the recycled content
values for EcoWorx tile are validated annually as part of the
ANSI/NSF 140 Platinum certification process; the actual recycled
content in each product will likely vary.
Shaw Contract Group, a brand of Shaw Industries Group, Inc., strives to adhere to all applicable laws regarding labor,
discrimination and harassment, wages and benefits, health and safety, diversity, and equal opportunity.
For more information, visit ShawContractGroup.com. Page 3 of 13
EcoWorx®
Commercial Carpet Tile
According to ISO 14025
Range of Applications
®
EcoWorx carpet tiles are intended for high performance environments requiring modular flooring, such as commercial
building installations with heavy foot traffic.
Product Standards & Approvals
Pill Test (CPSC FF1-70)
PASS
Flooring Radiant Panel (ASTM E-648)
Class I
NBS Smoke Density (ASTM E-662)
≤ 450
Electrostatic Propensity (AATCC-134)
< 3.5 kV
CRI Green Label Plus
ID 9968
California Section 01350
Meets Criteria
Colorfastness to Light (AATCC-16E)
≥ 4.0 @ 60 AFUs
Delamination Strength (ASTM D-3936)
No Delamination
Tuft Bind (ASTM D-1335)
≥ 8 pounds
Product Characteristics
Face Fiber Composition
Nylon 6
Primary Backing
Secondary Backing
Recycled Content
Polyester / Nylon 6 composite
Polyolefin Composite
44% total recycled content by weight: 33% pre-consumer; 11% post-consumer according to system
allocation.
Installation Options
Full spread Shaw Sureset N5000 releasable adhesive EcoWorx® ES, Shaw’s environmental selfadhesive system, or LokDots® installation system for EcoWorx®
Product Size Availability
(inches)
24”x24” or 18”x36”
Average
Minimum
Maximum
Face Weight
21.3 oz/sy
(0.722 kg/m2)
14 oz/sy
(0.475 kg/m2)
42 oz/sy
(1.42 kg/m2)
Total Product Weight
93.6 oz/sy
(3.17 kg/m2)
86.3 oz/sy
(2.93 kg/m2)
114.3 oz/sy
(3.88 kg/m2)
Visit ShawContractGroup.com to download details on specifications and warranties online.
The recycled content in EcoWorx tile is calculated using system allocation for the EcoSolution Q face fiber and mass
balance calculations for the EcoWorx backing. Note: the recycled content values for EcoWorx tile are validated
annually as part of the ANSI/NSF 140 Platinum certification process; the actual recycled content in each product will
likely vary.
Page 4 of 13
EcoWorx®
Commercial Carpet Tile
According to ISO 14025
Material Content
Component
Face Yarn
Primary Backing
Precoat
Secondary Backing
Stabilization Layer
Material
Nylon 6
Post-industrial Nylon 6
Post-consumer Nylon 6
Nylon 6
Polyester
Latex
Calcium Carbonate
Aluminum Trihydrate
Polyolefin Composite
Elutriated Heavies
Coal Fly Ash or Glass Cullet
Fiberglass
Mass %
23
4
18
53
2
Availability
Non-renewable
Recycled
Recycled
Non-renewable
Non-renewable
Non-renewable
Non-renewable
Non-renewable
Non-renewable
Recycled
Recycled
Non-renewable
Fossil Limited
Limited
Limited
Fossil Limited
Fossil Limited
Fossil Limited
Mineral Abundant
Mineral Abundant
Fossil Limited
Limited
Fossil Limited
Mineral Abundant
Origin
United States
United States
United States
United States
United States
United States
United States
United States
United States
United States
United States
United States
Page 5 of 13
EcoWorx®
Commercial Carpet Tile
According to ISO 14025
Product Manufacture
Production of Main Materials
Nylon 6 is a polymer of caprolactam formed by ring opening
polymerization. The post-consumer nylon 6 fiber used by
Shaw is created using caprolactam recovered from the
depolymerization process of used nylon 6 at the Shaw
Evergreen facility in Augusta, GA, and then re-polymerizing it
back into virgin fiber.
Polyester is a category of polymers produced from an ester
functional group. In the flooring industry, polyester most
commonly refers to polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a
thermoplastic polymer resin.
Latex is a synthetic copolymer used as a precoat to bind the
face fiber to the primary backing.
Calcium Carbonate (limestone) is a common substance
mined and used as filler for many products.
Aluminum trihydrate (aluminum hydroxide) is a mineral
found in the aluminum ore bauxite, and is commonly used as a fire retardant.
Polyolefins are extremely inert polymers produced from a simple olefin as a monomer.
®
Elutriated Heavies are shreddings from the backing of returned EcoWorx tiles which are then added to the virgin
compounds during the backing extrusion.
Coal Fly Ash is a by-product generated during the combustion of coal used in electricity generation.
Glass Cullet is crushed glass, which is added to the backing for dimensional stability.
Fiberglass is created by extruding melted glass into fibers and adding these fibers to a thermoplastic resin matrix. The
final fiberglass sheet adds dimensional stability to the final tile product.
Production of the EcoWorx® Tile
®
®
EcoWorx carpet tile is made with Shaw’s Eco Solution Q Nylon 6 face fiber.
Nylon 6 face fiber is produced internally at Shaw through polymerization from caprolactam. The Eco Solution Q® Nylon 6
fiber is turned into yarn through a variety of processes depending up on the desired look of the finished product.
Page 6 of 13
EcoWorx®
Commercial Carpet Tile
According to ISO 14025
The yarn is tufted into the primary backing layer, after which a performance precoat is applied to ensure maximum tuft
bind. A first layer of the EcoWorx® thermoplastic polyolefin compound is then applied, followed by the application of a
fiberglass reinforcement layer for unmatched stability. A final layer of EcoWorx® backing is then for added stability. The
tiles are then die-cut and packaged for distribution.
Environmental Health & Safety of Production
EcoWorx® is manufactured in the US in an ISO 9001 & ISO 14001 certified facility or equivalent.
Shaw strives to adhere to all applicable laws regarding labor, discrimination and harassment, wages and benefits,
health and safety, diversity, and equal opportunity. Through associate engagement, structured safety processes, and a
commitment to responsible materials sourcing, Shaw works to improve standards for personal and organizational
safety every day. Our programs include:




Shaw Behavior Based Safety Program to ensure continuous training, awareness, education and safety of all
Shaw associates and visitors to Shaw facilities.
Supply chain, raw materials and waste management programs
ANSI/NSF 140 compliance
Shaw Management System (SMS) - Based on ISO 9001 and 14001, and OSHAS 18001 standards, SMS
brings together Shaw’s Quality, Total Productive Manufacturing (TPM), Environmental, Health and Safety
systems under one umbrella, providing associates with a “one stop shop” for helping ensure all job steps are
followed the same way every time.
Shaw’s full Safety, Health and Environmental Policy is available at ShawGreenEdge.com/SHEP.
Production Waste & Waste Management
More than 75 percent of Shaw’s manufacturing waste is recycled or reused through Shaw’s Material Resources
Management (MRM) system. Designed to revolutionize the way Shaw defines and manages manufacturing waste,
MRM measures and categorizes material previously considered waste across all Shaw manufacturing facilities. The
system then uses a centralized reporting system to channel that material into new cycles of recycling and reuse
through Shaw’s own reclamation and manufacturing systems, or for use in the manufacture of other products.
Delivery and Installation
Delivery
For life cycle assessment purposes, the distance traveled for delivery of the product was calculated using a weighted
average of total sales.
Page 7 of 13
EcoWorx®
Commercial Carpet Tile
According to ISO 14025
Installation
®
EcoWorx can be installed using full spread Shaw Sureset N5000 releasable adhesive, EcoWorx®® ES (Shaw’s
®
®
environmental self-adhesive system), or LokDots installation system for EcoWorx .
®
®
LokDots uses a system of adhesive dots and a lightweight handheld applicator to install EcoWorx carpet tile even in
some of the most challenging conditions. The pressure-sensitive system uses as much as 97% less material
®
(compared to wet adhesive) and allows for virtually immediate occupancy. LokDots ’ odorless, non-toxic adhesive
®
makes it easy to use in occupied spaces, and LokDots are also ideal for high moisture environments with up to 12pH,
10 pounds per 100 square feet moisture transmission, and 95% relative humidity in the concrete slab. For more
®
information about LokDots , visit LokDots.com.
®
A full installation guide for EcoWorx tile is available at:
http://www.shawcontractgroup.com/Content/LiteraturePDFs/Installation_pdf/ModularInstallation.pdf.Packaging
All Shaw packaging materials are fully recyclable. While Shaw has significantly dematerialized the packaging used for
®
EcoWorx , some packaging material is necessary for the delivery of the product. Shaw recommends the recycling of
these packaging materials whenever possible.
Health, Safety & Environmental Impacts During Installation
Shaw commercial floor coverings are tested and certified to the Carpet and Rug Institute Green Label
Plus (GLP) standard for VOC emissions. Shaw adhesives are also certified to the Green Label
adhesive emissions criteria; they also comply with the VOC content requirements of the South Coast
®
Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) Rule 1168. Full EcoWorx specifications are available at
http://www.shawcontractgroup.com/Content/LiteraturePDFs/Backings_pdf/EcoWorx_spec.pdf.
Page 8 of 13
EcoWorx®
Commercial Carpet Tile
According to ISO 14025
Use Stage
The use stage of the life cycle assessment takes into account the regular and irregular maintenance of the carpet. For
®
the life cycle assessment, it is assumed that EcoWorx carpet tile lasts 15 years, assuming proper installation, care,
and maintenance.
Cleaning and Maintenance
Cleaning and maintenance can vary greatly with use conditions. Therefore, the life cycle assessment includes the
average of all Shaw recommended cleaning and care schedules according to the following table:
http://www.shawcontractgroup.com/Html/PerformanceMaintenance
Cleaning Process
Frequency
Energy and Resources Used
Vacuuming
4 times a week
Electricity
Hot Water Extraction
2 times a year
Electricity, Water, Cleaner
End-of-Life
Recycling
Recognized by the US Environmental Protection Agency for innovation in carpet recycling, Shaw leads the industry in
carpet reclamation, collecting more than 100 million pounds of post-consumer carpet annually and recycling it through
our various recycling programs, including Shaw’s Evergreen Nylon 6 recycling facility.
®
Shaw also provides a Global Environmental Guarantee for all EcoWorx products, which guarantees Shaw will collect
®
®
EcoWorx at the end of its useful life and recycle it into new EcoWorx again and again.
®
For more information on recycling EcoWorx , visit
http://www.shawcontractgroup.com/Html/EnvironmentalReclamationRecycling.
Page 9 of 13
EcoWorx®
Commercial Carpet Tile
According to ISO 14025
The Elutriation Process: making carpet from carpet
Disposal
®
The EcoWorx Global Environmental Guarantee makes it easy to
®
recycle EcoWorx at the end of its useful life. However, in
circumstances where recycling is not feasible, the material may be
disposed of via landfill or commercial incineration. For life cycle
assessment purposes, all disposal options are assumed (recycling,
landfill, incineration).
Page 10 of 13
EcoWorx®
Commercial Carpet Tile
According to ISO 14025
Life Cycle Assessment Results
®
A cradle-to-grave Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was completed on EcoWorx tile according to ISO 14040/44.
Description of the Declared or Functional Unit
The functional unit of the study is one square meter of floor covering in a commercial building over a time period of 60 years.
The 60-year study shows the impact of 4 iterations of carpet tile, each lasting 15 years.
Cut-off Criteria
Mass and energy flows less than 1% of the total mass or energy, respectively, may be excluded from the study, provided
they do not total more than 5% of the total mass or energy, respectively, and provided they do not contribute more than 1%
to the environmental impacts of the study.
Impact Allocation
As multiple products are created at each of Shaw's manufacturing facilities, allocation is used to determine how much
of the total facility energy and water use is caused by the product in question. For all manufacturing facilities, mass
allocation of the final products is used. The only exception is the Evergreen nylon 6 recycling facility, where economic
allocation is used due to the valuable nature of the desired product, and the lower economic value of the coproduct.
Background Data
All upstream data have been taken from the GaBi 6 LCI database, excluding the caprolactam from the Shaw Evergreen
facility, which is taken from a prior LCA study performed for Shaw. All manufacturing data has been collected from Shaw
facilities.
Data Quality
All background data used is considered to be of high quality. Primary data is collected from Shaw facilities in the United
States and is an average over 2011, using up-to-date technologies. Secondary data is taken from the GaBi 6 LCI database.
System Boundaries
The LCA study performed is considered a full cradle-to-grave study. It includes raw material sourcing/extraction,
manufacturing, installation and delivery, use, and end-of-life.
Results of the Assessment
The LCIA categories are based on the CML 2002 methodology, updated in 2010, and the TRACI 2.1 results are also
shown. The LCA results are split into the following life cycle stages: sourcing/extraction, manufacturing, delivery and
installation, use, and end of life.
Page 11 of 13
EcoWorx®
Commercial Carpet Tile
According to ISO 14025
Life Cycle Inventory
The table below shows the primary energy, material resources, and waste flows for the 60 year study.
Life Cycle Inventory
Primary Energy
Non-Renewable Resources 1,333 MJ
23% Crude Oil
27% Hard Coal
Renewable Resources 70 MJ
5% Geothermal
33% Hydro
Secondary Fuels 0 MJ
Non-Renewable Material Resources (>1% of total)
Inert Rock 80.4 kg
Limestone 1.9 kg
Bauxite
1.8 kg
Waste Flows
Non-Hazardous 14.6 kg
Hazardous
0.01 kg
2% Lignite
16% Wind
37% Natural Gas
46% Solar
11% Nuclear
Life Cycle Impact Assessment
The results shown in the following LCIA tables contain a 60 year study, including 4 iterations of EcoWorx tile each
lasting 15 years, and a one year study, including one iteration of the EcoWorx tile. An average face weight was used
to create the following results.
Table A: LCIA Results for 1 Year Study
The Flooring: Carpet, Resilient, Laminate, Ceramic, Wood PCR is currently under expert review. It is expected that
this review will conclude that Table A: Life Cycle Impacts for a One Year Use Stage will no longer be necessary in
future EPDs. The absence of Table A in this EPD is recognized by NSF and UL Environment as an appropriate
deviation from the PCR.
Table B: LCIA Results for 60 Year Study
CML 2002, Updated Nov, 2010
Impact Category
Total
Global Warming
Acidification
Ozone Depletion
Smog
Eutrophication
Abiotic Depletion
TRACI 2.0
Impact Category
Global Warming
Acidification
Ozone Depletion
Smog
Eutrophication
76.8 kg CO2 eq
0.27 kg SO2 eq
2.8E-08 kg R11 eq
0.022 kg ethane eq
0.019 kg phosphate eq
6.5E-05 kg Sb eq
Use
End-of-Life
6.9%
6.8%
7.2%
6.2%
5.4%
1.4%
Delivery &
Installation
2.3%
0.8%
0.3%
2.4%
1.4%
0.4%
33.8%
45.4%
41.5%
31.4%
30.3%
4.3%
1.0%
0.4%
0.5%
1.4%
0.9%
0.1%
Manufacturing
6.9%
6.7%
7.1%
5.3%
1.4%
Delivery &
2.1%
0.8%
0.3%
1.2%
0.3%
Use
33.9%
43.9%
41.1%
33.0%
6.4%
End-of-Life
1.0%
0.5%
0.5%
0.9%
0.2%
Sourcing & Extraction Manufacturing
56.0%
46.5%
50.5%
58.7%
62.0%
93.7%
Total
Sourcing/Extraction
76.6 kg CO2 eq
56.0%
0.26 kg SO2 eq
48.1%
3.0E-08 kg CFC-11 eq
51.0%
2.9 kg O3 eq
59.6%
5.3E-02 kg N eq
91.7%
Page 12 of 13
EcoWorx®
Commercial Carpet Tile
TRACI 2.1 LCIA Results According to ISO 14025
CML LCIA Results Interpretation
The results show the top two contributors to the environmental impact of EcoWorx tile are the materials themselves, as
well as the use of the carpet (cleaning).
References
Product Category Rule for Environmental Product Declarations, Flooring: Carpet, Resilient, Laminate, Ceramic, Wood,
NSF International, National Center for Sustainability Standards, valid through May 22, 2017, [email protected]
ISO 14025:2006, the International Organization for Standardization, Environmental Labels and Declarations - Type III
Environmental Declarations - Principals and Procedures, Edition 1
http://www.iso.org/iso/catalogue_detail?csnumber=38131
ISO 14040:2006, the International Standard of the International Standardization Organization, Environmental
Management – Life Cycle Assessment - Principles and Framework, Edition 2
http://www.iso.org/iso/iso_catalogue/catalogue_tc/catalogue_detail.htm?csnumber=37456
ISO 14044:2006, the International Standard of the International Standardization Organization, Environmental
Management – Life Cycle Assessment – Requirements and guidelines, Edition 1, Section 6.1.
http://www.iso.org/iso/iso_catalogue/catalogue_tc/catalogue_detail.htm?csnumber=38498
ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA, 19428-2959 USA
http://www.astm.org/Standard/index.shtml
16 CFR Ch. 11 (1-1-00 Edition) Part 1630, Document FF 1-70 Surface Flammability of Carpets and Rugs
American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC), Research Triangle Park, NC., USA, Test Methods
and Evaluation Procedures http://www.aatcc.org/testing/methods/index.htm
Carpet and Rug Institute, Green Label Plus Program, Carpet and Adhesives, http://www.carpetrug.org/commercialcustomers/green-building-and-the-environment/green-label-plus/carpet-and-adhesive.cfm
EcoWorx®
Commercial Carpet Tile
Page 13 of 13
According to ISO 14025
Standard Method for the Testing and Evaluation of Volatile Organic Chemical Emissions From Indoor Sources Using
Environmental Chambers 1.1, Indoor Air Quality Section, Environmental Health Laboratory Branch, Division of
Environmental and Occupational Disease Control, California Department of Public Health February 2010 (also known
as California Specification 01350) http://www.cal-iaq.org/phocadownload/cdphiaq_standardmethod_v1_1_2010%20new1110.pdf
South Coast Air Quality Management District, Rule 1168, Adhesives and Sealant Applications;
http://www.aqmd.gov/rules/reg/reg11/r1168.pdf
International Organization for Standardization (ISO) ISO 14001:2004(E), Second Edition, Environmental Management
Systems – Requirements with Guidance for Use http://www.iso.org/iso/home.html
Cradle to Cradle, http://www.c2ccertified.org
BRE Global Certification, http://www.bre.co.uk
NSF/ANSI 140 Sustainability Assessment for Carpet, NSF International, http://www.nsf.org
Singapore Green Labelling Scheme (SGLS), member of the Global Ecolabelling Network (GEN)
http://www.greenlabel.sg/
GaBi 6 software, PE INTERNATIONAL, http://www.gabi-software.com
U.S. EPA, Tool for the Reduction and Assessment of Chemical and Other Environmental Impacts (TRACI), version 2.1
http://www.epa.gov/nrmrl/std/sab/traci/.
University of Leiden Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Life Cycle Impact Assessment Methodology, 2002
version. http://cml.leiden.edu/software/data-cmlia.html.