Today ThermaCork was awarded the distinguished "Declare" certification for the second year in a row, making ThermaCork a leader in the transparent materials economy!
Human and environmental health considerations have emerged as a crucial factor in material selection. Declare is a Standardization for manufacturers of ecologically sound products to demonstrate Just how environmentally friendly they really are.
Declare is also the certification used by the Living Building Challenge. "widely accepted to be the most advanced green building standard in the world" to select products that meet the Living Building Challenge’s stringent materials requirements, streamlining the materials specification and certification process. The purpose of the Living Building Challenge is straightforward – it defines the most advanced measure of sustainability in the built environment possible today and acts to diminish the gap between current limits and ideal solutions.
To be considered for the Declare certification, an extremely through and stringent process must be undertaken of testing and tracing chemical elements. Thus making sure nothing from "The Red List" is present. The Red List represents the “worst in class” materials, chemicals, and elements known to pose serious risks to human health and the greater ecosystem. A "Living Building Project" cannot contain any of the following materials or compound.
Asbestos
Cadmium
Chlorinated Polyethylene and Chlorosulfonated Polyethlene
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
Chloroprene (Neoprene)
Formaldehyde (added)
Halogenated Flame Retardants
Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs)
Lead (added)
Mercury
Petrochemical Fertilizers and Pesticides
Phthalates
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
Wood treatments containing Creosote, Arsenic or Pentachlorophenol
We here at ThermaCork Proudly display our certification in our showroom, just as we are proudly displaying it here! Check out both Declare and Living Building challenge's websites in the links below!