NSF International and the Float Glass Manufacturing Division of the Glass Association of North America are collaborating to develop a Product Category Rule (PCR) for flat and float glass.
NSF International, in cooperation with the Glass Association of North America’s (GANA) Float Glass Manufacturing Division, is developing a Product Category Rule (PCR) for flat and float glass. Flat glass includes sheet glass, plate glass, rolled glass and float glass and is used in a wide range of architectural, auto and decorative applications. This PCR will provide a science-based and internationally recognized method for reporting the environmental impact of glass products and materials throughout their entire life cycle.
Product Category Rules define the elements of a life cycle assessment (LCA) for a particular product group and what to include in an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), a third-party-verified report summarizing the data generated from a life cycle assessment. The U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) has a pilot credit that recognizes materials that have third-party verified EPDs.
NSF International’s Sustainability division provides third-party verification of EPDs by confirming that the data is collected in accordance with the applicable PCR and meets all ISO requirements. The PCR for flat and float glass products will be established in accordance with the international environmental labelling standard ISO 14025 through the NSF National Center for Sustainability Standards.
The NSF National Center for Sustainability Standards (NCSS) will utilize an open consultative process to develop the PCR with participation from an expert panel of glass manufacturers, suppliers, regulatory agencies, life cycle practitioners, trade associations, and end users. The NCSS has developed PCRs and American national sustainability standards for a wide range of product categories, including chemicals, commercial and institutional furniture, carpets, wall covering, textiles, flooring, building products and materials, and is developing others for broad industries including water treatment and distribution systems.
“There is growing interest in transparency of product information both domestically and abroad. The inclusion of criteria supporting Environmental Product Declarations in the LEED V4 Green Building Rating System Standards in development will further increase demand if adopted,” said Tom Bruursema, General Manager of NSF Sustainability. “GANA is taking an important step in the green building industry to develop the PCR that will enable the reporting and comparison of the environmental attributes of their products.”
“Enabling comparisons of glass products on the basis of their environmental impact, using standardized and scientifically sound data, will provide a competitive incentive for glass manufacturers to focus on the environmental impacts of their products and operations. Developing a PCR for float and flat glass is an important step for the industry toward a more sustainable future,” said Mike Turnbull, Guardian Industries Corp., Glass Association of North America’s Float Glass Manufacturing Division representative and NSF PCR Chair.