Proposed procurement goals:
- At least 80% of carpeting (based on square footage) installed per year meets the silver level of Healthier Carpet criteria or greater
- 100% of carpet adhesives are certified low VOC (volatile organic compound) by a third-party certification program
- At least 80% of carpeting also meets one of the following third-party certified green carpet standards relevant to carpet: Floorscore, NSF/ANSI 140 Gold or Cradle to Cradle Silver, GREENGUARD Gold, SCS Indoor Advantage Gold, Berkeley Analytical ClearChem, and Carpet Rug Institute Green Label Plus (CRI+)
- Carpet should not be installed in building entryways, laundry rooms, bathrooms, kitchens/kitchenettes, or utility rooms
- Preference given to products with publicly available information to encourage the use of building products that are working to minimize their environmental and health impacts
- Material ingredients documentation demonstrating the chemical inventory of the product to at least 0.1% (1,000 ppm) with all content characterized and screened
Case studies and resources:
- Center for Environmental Health's healthier carpet criteria
- Enterprise Green Communities Criteria & Certification section on Ingredient Transparency for Material Health
- Toxic-Free Future's Healthy Materials Matrix provides guidance for purchasing healthier building materials.
- San Francisco restricts the purchase of carpeting containing antimicrobials, flame retardants, PFAS, PVC, and VOCs.
- The State of New York prohibits the purchase of floor coverings that contain antimicrobials, flame retardants, or PVCs.
- Alameda County, CA's Model Bid Language for Carpet Tile and Broadloom