Bill Luallen talks with Pat Jennings, Director of Standards and Specifications with the Carpet and Rug Institute. Pat discusses some major developments seen in the CRI in 2015 and explains why providing information for the consumer to make informed carpet decisions is what the CRI does best.
The Carpet and Rug Institute is the trade association for the North American carpet industry. CRI members include:
- manufacturers of soft floor covering
- manufacturers of cushions and adhesives
- manufacturers of cleaning products
- SOA Service Providers
- industry-related businesses and organizations
Pat Jennings, CRI’s Director of Standards and Specifications, works primarily with the emissions and product testing programs Green Label Plus (GLP) and Seal of Approval (SOA). She explains, “GLP is an international program for emissions testing that follows protocol set by California 01350 and is ANSI-certified for ISO 17065.” The Seal of Approval program tests carpet cleaning products, including vacuums, extractors, deep-cleaning systems, interim maintenance systems, and cleaning solutions. Pat adds, “SOA also certifies professional carpet cleaners under the SOA Service Provider program.”
Consumers benefit in many ways from the programs. Pat mentions, “The Green Label Plus program was created to ensure that carpet, cushion, and adhesive products with GLP certification are the lowest emitting products on the market.” In a similar fashion, SOA measures the cleaning effectiveness of products so that consumers can be sure they are purchasing products that work.
On Education:
“Our staff works closely with our members to promote the best information on carpet. “
When asked about carpet and rug developments in 2015, Pat notes that it was a great year for CRI and the industry. She adds, “The Green Label Plus program had a couple of noteworthy items in being re-accredited by ANSI and accepted into USGBC’s LEED v4.” Also, CRI’s commercial and residential installation standards (CRI 104/105) were refreshed and released in September. Both are available online at www.carpet-rug.org/install. Pat says, “We also continued to see new products enter GLP and SOA, along with new cleaning professionals enter the Seal of Approval Service Provider program this year.”
On Development:
“Our members are a great resource and help us develop the resources we provide to the public.”
Want to learn how you can submit a product for testing under Seal of Approval? Pat says, “A manufacturer needs to download and fill out the correct forms on our website, www.carpet-rug.org, and work with CRI to get the product submitted for testing.”
The CRI website has a lot of great information. There you’ll find a number of fact sheets, technical bulletins, and research. They are also very active on social media. You can find CRI on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.