Additionally, sustainable product design is becoming one of our guiding principles. AVA is committed to phasing-out potentially harmful and non-recyclable raw materials and products in favor of safer, rapidly renewable, recycled and/or recyclable raw materials.
Our Sustainable Journey
Environmental Compliance and Transparency
Environmental Product Declaration (EPD®)
This is a comprehensive, internationally harmonized report that documents the ways in which a product, throughout its life cycle, affects the environment. The EPD was created in accordance with standards developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and is verified in accordance with ISO 14025. According to EPD, “Having an EPD for a product does not imply that the declared product is environmentally superior to alternatives – it is simply a transparent declaration of the life-cycle environmental impact.” All Novalis products are third-party verified for EPD by UL Environment.
FloorScore®
FloorScore tests and certifies all hard surface flooring and flooring adhesive products, ensuring they meet stringent indoor air quality emissions requirements. The program was developed by the Resilient Floor Covering Institute (RFCI) in conjunction with Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) and has certified products since 2005. Because most people spend as much as 90% of their time indoors (at home, work or school), indoor air quality is an important issue for architects, designers and purchasers of interior building products and materials. All Novalis floors are FloorScore certified for low VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds).
Declare® Program
The International Living Future Institute created the Declare Program. Declare labeling is often compared to the nutritional labeling found on food packages; it focuses on specifics important to commercial specifiers, such as product ingredients, percentage of recyclable content, and possible potential hazards, to name a few. Declare labeling is strictly voluntary and underscores the Novalis commitment to producing the highest-quality and most ecologically trustworthy LVT. To receive a Declare label, Novalis submits its product content data to the Living Building Council for review and disclosure.
LEED
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a green building certification program that recognizes best-in-class building strategies and practices. To receive LEED certification, building projects must satisfy prerequisites and earn points to achieve different levels of certification. Prerequisites and credits differ for each rating system, and teams choose the best fit for their projects. Novalis is FloorScore®, EPD®, and HPD® certified, allowing the use of Novalis flooring in architectural and design projects eligible to earn LEED credits.
The Health Production Declaration® (HPD)
The Health Production Declaration is a report of the materials or ingredients content of a building product and the associated health effects. Through HPD, Novalis reports what makes up its products and any hazards of which consumers need to be made aware. The continuous improvement of the building industry’s performance through transparency, openness and innovation in the product supply chain is the commitment of HPD and Novalis.
Eco+® Phthalate-Free Bio-Based Content
Phthalates (ortho-phthalates) are a family of chemical compounds primarily used to make PVC products, such as footwear, hoses, medical devices and vinyl flooring, flexible. But now phthalates are considered by many to be potentially hazardous from repeated exposure through contact. Novalis pioneered the development and use of a bio-based plasticizer derived from soya bean oil as a phthalate alternative in our LVT. Novalis ceased using phthalates July 11, 2014, and is Eco+ Phthalate-Free. All of its products are made with 100% virgin vinyl and are 100% phthalate-free.
Memberships
U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)
The U.S. Green Building Council was founded in 1993. Its members are changing the way buildings and communities are designed, built and operated. USGBC believes in better buildings; places that complement our environment and enhance our communities. USGBC is best known for its development of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). Novalis has been a member of the U.S. Green Building Council since 2013.
Resilient Floor Covering Institute (RFCI)
The Resilient Floor Covering Institute is an industry trade association of leading resilient flooring manufacturers and suppliers of raw materials, additives and sundry flooring products for the North American market. RFCI promotes sustainability in the resilient flooring category through NSF/ANSI standards, FloorScore®, EPD and product transparency, while helping designers, architects, facilities managers, homeowners and others make wise flooring decisions through the use of resilient flooring. Novalis has been a member of RFCI since 2014.
North American Association of Floor Covering Distributors (NAFCD)
The North American Association of Floor Covering Distributors was created to foster trade and commerce for wholesale distributors or manufacturers of floor coverings and allied products. Novalis supports the work of the NAFCD, such as sharing important industry data among members about trends in sustainable flooring, as well as promoting education, research and training programs to help ensure the highest standards in the flooring industry
Green Idea Green Action (GIGA)
Green Idea Green Action is an international organization assessing the health and performance of buildings, combining the development of building standards with cloud software to increase the accessibility of healthy buildings globally. GIGA’s assessment infrastructure and metrics are used by hundreds of companies to track and communicate the health and performance of their properties. Novalis has been a GIGA manufacturing member since 2012.
World Floor Covering Association (WFCA)
The Wood Floor Covering Association is the floor covering industry’s largest advocacy organization
representing specialty floor covering retailers, cleaners, installers, manufacturers and distributors around the globe. Among its many green initiatives, the WFCA promotes education about environmentally friendly floors through partnership with The Learning Channel’s Designing Spaces. Novalis is a proud member of the WFCA and supports its mission of “Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. Respect.” in the floor covering industry.
American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)
The American Society for Testing and Materials is one of the oldest non-profit standard academics groups in the United States. ASTM is a globally recognized leader in the development and delivery of international voluntary consensus standards. Close to 12,000 ASTM standards are used around the world to improve product quality, enhance safety, facilitate market access and trade, and build consumer confidence. Novalis became a member of ASTM to promote the knowledge of standards in materials, in production and in services.