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Certification is a confirmation of
certain characteristics of any event,
organization, manufacturers, suppliers,
service providers for their qualitative
work and services. Across the world,
there are many organizations and
associations that assess carpet
manufacturers on the basis of various
parameters such as environment, child
labour, quality of the yarns, and
colours etc., and provide certificates
if they fulfil the requirements.
Certifications can be of two kinds: one
that declares that a manufacturer or
supplier having the license to perform
certain tasks. The other kind can state
the assurance of a particular level of
quality, system or resources used. To
flourish in any industry, it is vital
for any player to understand the
competition around and gain
certifications with reference to the
future scope and competitive edge.
Some certificates are very necessary to
be possessed as per government rules and
regulations. For instance, in many
countries, only those rugs and carpets
are permitted, which did not involve
child labour. These certifications
ensure the trust factor in the minds of
the buyers and act as an effective
marketing tool. Some of the important
certificates related to the carpet
industry are:
CE Mark
This is a conformity mark mandatory on
products placed on the single market in
the European Economic Area (EEA).
Initially used as "EC Mark", the present
"CE Marking" came into being in the
Directive 93/68/EEC in 1993, which is
officially used in all new EC
directives.
Affixing the CE marking ensures that a
manufacturer, its authorized
representative or the person placing the
product on the market or putting it into
service is asserting on the product
meeting all the necessary requirements
of the relevant European Directive's.
The marking is vital since the products
are regulated by certain European
health, safety and environmental
protection legislation, & therefore, it
becomes obligatory for the products to
get the certification. The marking makes
it easier for the manufacturer to sell
his products like wall-to-wall floor
coverings, carpet tiles, laminate, vinyl
& cork floor, in the European market,
making them perfectly suitable as per
the European construction products
directive 89/106/EC.
Green Label plus Carpet Certificate
CRI's Green Label and Green Label Plus
programs, tests for, and certify, low
emissions from carpet, carpet cushion
and adhesive. It complies with the
International Organization for
Standardization (ISO) and the
International Electro technical
Commission (IEC) Guide 65, a general
requirement for bodies operating product
certification programs.
In 1992, CRI launched the Green Label
program to test carpet, cushions and
adhesives for low-emitting volatile
organic compounds (VOCs). The program
was revised and named Green Label Plus
in 2002. When California's Indoor Air
Quality Program and the Sustainable
Building Task Force approved Green Label
Plus certification, in lieu of Section
01350, the low-emitting materials
criteria for the Collaborative for High
Performance School testing protocols (CHPS)
was also devised.
Green Label Plus meets and even exceeds
Section 01350 in several respects,
including testing for specific chemicals
annually, testing for six additional
chemicals, maintaining a chain of
custody process and performing an annual
audit of the testing laboratory.
Indoor air quality is an important
environmental consideration, since
approximately 90 percent is spent
indoors. Architects, builders and
specifies can have full confidence that
Green Label and Green Label Plus carpet
are desirable, attractive green building
products. They can be rest assured that
they are purchasing the very lowest
effluent emitting products in the
market.
INVISTA Certifications
The certification is said to be the most
valuable tool in delighting the
residential floor covering value chain,
especially with so many top brands
functioning under it. All these brands
have simple names because of their
consumer recognition and willingness to
purchase benefits. When carpets/area
rugs carry these brand names, they are
more recognizable with reputation. It is
so, since they have to meet certain
standard manufacturing standards &
specifications before they are certified
to be sold as the branded product.
In addition, the role of INVSITA
certification process highlights the
point of using only type 6, 6 nylon
fibre made by INVISTA & is considered as
the strongest fibre available for carpet
construction. The only nylon fibre in
the world, CORDURA® NYCO, engineered to
be specifically blended with cotton for
high durability to resist abrasion for
maintaining the strength & comfort are
the key features. The comfort of cotton
is beautifully blended with the strength
of INVISTA® Nylon 6, 6., to deliver high
performance strength & longevity, making
it suitably applicable for many carpets.
Terms & Conditions
In order to acquire the INVISTA
certificate, there are certain do's
which every other yarn & fibre industry
needs to follow which are:
• To get brand approval, all fabrics
should be submitted to INVISTA for prior
testing.
• It has the right to refuse the use of
any brand on fabrics and garments which
are of inferior quality.
• All nylon 6.6 yarns used must be of
INVISTA origin.
• INVISTA has the right to approve for
including special yarns or other fibres
in branded fabrics after qualifying the
performance test.
• It can even inspect & test the fabrics
& yarns before & after receiving the
brands.
• The INVISTA certificate makes any
brand's material & products quiet
valuable.
Wool Safe
Wool Safe is an internationally
recognized organization established
since 1991. It is known for its
world-wide testing & certification
program for the manufacturers of carpet
cleaning chemicals, spot removers, soil
& stain resist treatments as well other
products requiring maintenance &
enhancements of carpets & rugs. Apart
from these, product variations covered
by the Wool Safe program are:
• Shampoos, spray extraction, bonnet
cleaning chemicals
• Pre-spotters & traffic lane cleaners
• Impregnated powder compounds/"dry
extraction"
• Boosters & detergent additives
• Neutralizing agents & pile rinsing
• Crystallizing cleaning agents
• Antistatic treatments, colour
restoration products & deodorizers
A Wool Safe mark is seen as an assurance
of quality performance. Their
accreditation program for carpet &
upholstery maintenance products is
operated worldwide, especially in varied
parts of the world such as in Great
Britain, Ireland, North America,
Australia and Germany. The organization
gives immense stress on its commitment
towards the environment & its close
association with the greenest carpet
fibre around i.e., wool.
The certified operators with
accreditation program are completely
trained in handling carpet cleaning
techniques. All these programs are aptly
supported in North America by Wools of
New Zealand & in Europe by the British
Wool Marketing Board.
The ones who must have this
certification for sure should be:
• Professional Cleaners of raw materials
like wool.
• Carpet Fibre Suppliers to assure no
further damages to fibres, their colours
& any applied finishes while using
unsuitable carpet maintenance products.
• Cleaning chemical manufacturers to
achieve the highest standards in
performance & safety.
• Carpet owners or buyers. |
