Our certificates
Product labels
People in Central Europe spend an average of 80-90% of their time indoors. It is therefore not surprising that many building owners are focussing on healthy living. In order to fulfil this need, many of our floor coverings have been awarded certificates that prove they have been tested in this respect.
In the following, we would like to introduce you to some of the labels that our floor coverings offer. This is a selection and not the complete range, which covers all product groups.
Blue Angel
Germany's best-known non-food label is the Blue Angel - the German government's environmental label for over 45 years. It was founded by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, which continues to act as the label holder. It is awarded by RAL gGmbh. The label checks multiple and wide-ranging criteria: for example, the consumption of resources, water, soil, disposal and emissions are tested. The health-promoting aspect of the products is also taken into account. Products are always certified if they are less harmful to the environment than other products with equivalent usability.
As the Blue Angel is now represented in a wide variety of product groups, there are 100 product groups, each with its own catalogue of criteria.
Depending on the group, we offer INKU products with the following certificates:
- DE UZ-76 Low-emission panel-shaped materials (construction and furniture panels) for interior fittings
- DE UZ-113 Low-emission flooring adhesives and other installation materials
- DE UZ-120 Resilient floor coverings
- DE UZ-128 Low-emission textile floor coverings
- EN UZ-156 Low-emission underlays for floor coverings
- DE UZ-176 Low-emission floor coverings, panels and doors made of wood and wood-based materials for interiors
The Blue Angel criteria catalogues set a wide range of requirements. As a rule, some substances are excluded from use in certified products, while strict limit values apply to others. For materials made of wood, the origin is scrutinised.
Eco-INSTITUT label
The Eco-INSTITUT is one of the most renowned German laboratories for indoor analysis and offers one of the strictest tests with the most stringent criteria available on the market. The focus is on emissions (outgassing), which are measured in a test chamber. In addition, compliance with legal requirements and the prohibition of certain ingredients are tested. Odour testing is also included for some construction and furnishing products, furniture, cleaning products, mattresses and bedding. In the case of tested products made of wood, attention is even paid to compliance with sustainable forestry, depending on the material.
Only healthy living products receive the label awarded by the institute for two years before a new test is carried out in the laboratory. A conformity check is carried out every year.
All criteria and test methods are openly presented by the institute and can be viewed by end users or customers.
Cradle to Cradle
The Cradle to Cradle NGO brings together climate and resource protection and implements innovative solutions for ecological, economic and social problems. The fundamental focus is on the circular economy of a product. The idea behind this is that, when designing a product, the developer already considers where its components will be at the end of its life cycle. Visionary Michael Braungart describes this as follows: "Less bad is still not good." Products should not only be designed to be sustainable - i.e. CO2-neutral in the current understanding - but also useful!
Cradle to Cradle-certified products must either be completely biodegradable above a certain level - i.e. returnable to the biological cycle - or be returned to the technical cycle and taken back by the manufacturer. In this scenario, the manufacturer only sells its product for a previously agreed period and then takes it back for recycling. The manufacturer has an interest in using the best materials so that they can be recycled for as long as possible. In short, Cradle to Cradle is a way for the construction industry to implement the Circular Economy Action Plan of the EU Green Deal. As a result, the demand for products with this type of certification will increase in the future - also because the Green Claims Directive (a directive intended to prevent greenwashing) and the Ecodesign Regulation will be served by the certificate.
Interesting to know: The EU Green Deal is based on the Cradle to Cradle concept in many respects!
The Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute (C2CPII) in Washington monitors the material and process assessment required for certification. In addition to recyclability, strict requirements are also set for material health, clean air and climate protection, responsibility for water and soil as well as social sustainability. The certification is therefore not only based on a pure product level, but also scrutinises the entire company.
Indoor Air comfort
The Indoor Air comfort certificate is issued by the Eurofins laboratory. It tests VOC emissions, i.e. volatile substances that can have a negative impact on the indoor climate. The basis for the certificate is a combination of limit values from various certificate programmes and requirements. For example, it guarantees compliance with the VOC limit values of the AgBB scheme, EMICODE EC1 plus, A+ or the FloorScore label.
The label is available in a basic version and is called "Indoor Air comfort". Here, the statutory EU limit values for VOC emissions are tested. The advanced version is the "indoor Air comfort GOLD" certificate. Our certified products are all at Gold level!
The certification proves that all European regulations regarding emissions are complied with. This is also verified by on-site audits - i.e. factory inspections.
GUT label
With its label, the Gemeinschaft umweltfreundlicher Teppichbodene.V. sets strict requirements for ingredients, product emissions and odour.
The GUT criteria prohibit substances from various regulations, such as the POP Regulation (a regulation that deals with the handling of substances classified as persistent in the environment). Other regulations, such as the REACH regulation on chemical substances, are checked for their conformity with the products. Another feature is the reference to the EU Green Deal: the GUT label indicates that certified products comply with the requirements of the Green Claims Directive. Another special feature is the PRODIS(PRODuktInformationsSystem) product passport, which is created for certified products. The product passport can be accessed online using a product-related licence number and provides a lot of useful information at a glance. With the help of the EPDs created by GUT, it is possible to analyse the GWP (global warming potential) over the entire life cycle.
Building certification
In addition to the common and well-known product labels such as the Blue Angel or FSC, there is another category in the property sector: Green building certification systems. This is awarded for an entire building project (e.g. a school).
The basis for building certification is formed by the respective criteria catalogues in which the requirements for the project can be found. These relate, for example, to the ecological or technical quality of the building. In detail, this means a wealth of criteria that cover both the local environment or the realisation of the project and - to a certain degree of detail - the materials used. This is the bridge to INKU products. Our products cannot be certified in detail, but - if they fulfil the respective criteria - they can contribute to a better assessment of the building!
The conformity of the building products is often already required in the tenders. Our INKU products are tested by our quality management staff for conformity with the various building certifications. As proof, you will receive the relevant product certificates from us, such as the "Indoor Air Comfort Gold Certificate" for our design floors. In addition, a manufacturer's declaration on the REACH Regulation (Regulation (EC) No. 1907/2006 concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals [...]) is often requested. As there is no separate seal for this regulation, but it is applicable European law, we at Jordan ensure that our products are REACH-compliant right from the manufacturing process. As proof for our customers, we issue a declaration of no objection.
There is a points allocation system for the various requirements, which can be used to calculate the certificate level achieved after completion of the construction project. For a project that is to be certified at building level, the accreditation body provides the client with an accompanying auditor who monitors compliance with all requirements.
To give you a better idea, we have summarised more detailed information on the most well-known labels below:
ÖGNI
Who is the ÖGNI and which certificate does it award?
The Austrian Sustainable Building Councilis an NGO. It is a system partner of the DGNB and has adopted its certification system and adapted it to Austria. It also offers the preparation of expert reports on the EU taxonomy.
The certification system is identical to that of the DGNB: the client registers the project with the ÖGNI for certification. For this purpose, the client concludes a consultancy contract with the ÖGNI auditor and a certification contract with the ÖGNI. The auditor accompanies the project and submits the necessary evidence for the conformity check (quality check of the audit by independent third parties), which is coordinated by the ÖGNI.
The certification system is owned by the DGNB. The German Sustainable Building Councilhas developed criteria catalogues for different types of projects. These have up to 37 criteria with which the building can achieve bronze, silver, gold or platinum certification , depending on the number of points achieved.
Criteria catalogues have been developed for the following types of use:
- New construction and refurbishment of buildings
- Neighbourhood development
- Buildings in operation
- Small residential buildings
- Biodiversity-promoting outdoor spaces
- Expansion of interior spaces
- Demolition of existing buildings
- Building sites
Where are ÖGNI certificates required and what advantages do they bring?
ÖGNI certifications are mainly carried out in the property sector. The criteria relevant to building products place considerable demands on proof of healthy living - for example, proof of emissions (VOC) and ingredients (hazardous substances/SVHC according to REACH). In addition, proof of sustainable forestry is required for at least 50 % of the permanently installed building materials made from renewable raw materials.
Climate active
The klimaaktiv label was launched in Austria by the Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology. It is administered by the ÖGUT - Austrian Society for Environment and Technology.
The seal sets requirements for the avoidance of critical substances such as flame retardants or HFCs. The Austrian Ecolabel is preferred when environmentally friendly products are used.
Among other things, recyclability is considered through the assessment of deconstruction and recycling-friendly designs. Non-sustainable tropical woods may not be used. A certain proportion of the wood products used must come from sustainable forestry.
As soon as the building is completed, an indoor air test must be carried out. This must not exceed a certain limit value, otherwise certification is jeopardised.
You can find more information on certification here.