UL Environment, a subsidiary of product safety tester
Underwriters Laboratory, has finished its first validation of environmental claims since launching at the start of this year.
Serious Materials' new drywall,
EcoRock, is the first product to have its claims validated by UL Environment, which investigated, and confirmed, the claims that EcoRock contains 80 percent recycled content, has low volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions, is mercury free and is highly resistant to mold.
UL Environment performed an audit for the recycled content, environmental chamber tests to determine VOC emissions, energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence tests to determine mercury content, and microbial resistance tests to determine resistance to mold.
"As sustainable products become more available, third-party validation of claims by credible organizations like UL Environment will be crucial to eliminating exaggerated green marketing claims," said Steve Wenc, president of UL Environment. Manufacturers that have their claims validated can use the UL Environment service logo on product packaging and marketing materials.
Serious Materials is a manufacturer of green building materials whose products also include insulated windows and soundproof drywall. For its EcoRock drywall, the company reengineered its manufacturing and ingredients, using 80 percent less energy in its core production by eliminating heaters, dryers, calcining and burning fossil fuels.
"Green building mandates continue to be required by government policy and industry leading brands who understand the critical environmental and economic impact of the built environment," said Kevin Surace, CEO of Serious Materials. "The launch of UL Environment Claims Validation service is yet another indicator that energy-saving building products and green practices are becoming the norm, and not the alternative."
Earlier this year, Serious Materials acquired two shuttered window factories in
Pennsylvania and
Chicago, started hiring back workers that had been laid off by the previous owners, and turned the buildings into manufacturing plants for its Serious Windows business.
