Product Certification Schemes

Fitout products (such as flooring and loose furniture) that have been certified for their environmental merit by a GBCA-recognised product certification scheme are rewarded in Green Star Material Calculators and Fitout Calculators credits.

Schemes are recognised by the GBCA on the basis of the Assessment Framework for Product Certification Schemes.

Refer to the Green Star Material Calculator Guide for detailed information on how certified, and non-certified, products are documented. Also see Achieving points with Green Star Materials Calculators.

GBCA Recognised Product Certification Schemes

The following schemes and relevant standards have been assessed as compliant with the requirements of the GBCA's Assessment Framework for Product Certification Schemes. Click on the relevant scheme below for detail.

• Carpet Institute of Australia Limited, Environmental Certification Scheme (ECS) v1.2
• Ecospecifier GreenTag GreenRate v3.2
• Australasian Furnishing Research and Development Institute, Sustainability Standard for Commercial Furniture - AFRDI Standard 150
• Good Environmental Choice Australia (GECA), including six standards
• The Institute for Market Transformation to Sustainability (MTS) Sustainable Materials Rating Technology standard version 4.0 - SMaRT 4.0

Note: The recognition levels A, B, and C are only relevant in the Fitout Calculators. In current Material Calculators credits final products that are certified by a GBCA recognised product certification scheme and standard (at any level) are categorised as 'Environmentally Innovative' and will automatically achieve a 'product score' of 100%.

Deem to Satisfy - VOC and Formaldehyde

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) credit - Fitout items, carpet or other flooring certified under the following standards are automatically deemed complaint with the Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) credit in Green Star rating tools:

• Carpet Institute of Australia Environmental Certification Scheme at level 2, 3 or 4
• Ecospecifier's GreenTag GreenRate, four Supplementary Category Specific Standards at level A or B (Level C is excluded) as follows:
  • 'Carpet and Flooring Supplementary Standard'
  • 'Furniture Supplementary Standard',
  • 'Joinery Supplementary Standard' and
  • 'Walls, Partitions and Ceilings Supplementary standard'
• Australasian Furnishings Research and Development Institute Standard -150 at level A, B and C
• Good Environmental Choice Australia 28-2010 v2 - 'Furniture and Fittings'
• Good Environmental Choice Australia 50-2011 v2 - 'Carpets'
• Good Environmental Choice Australia 25-2011 v2 - 'Floor Coverings'

In establishing credit compliance via this option projects are required to include the following documents in their submission:

• This advice;
• The certificate for the product clearly identifying the standard to which it is certified (from the list above), current at the time of project registration.

Formaldehyde Minimisation credit - Fitout items containing engineered wood products certified under any Green Building Council of Australia recognised standard are automatically deemed complaint with the Formaldehyde Minimisation credits in Green Star rating tools.
In establishing credit compliance via this option projects are required to include the following documents in their submission:

• This advice;
• The certificate for the product clearly identifying the standard to which it is certified, current at the time of project registration.

Further Notes:

Green Star projects which have registered before 1 July 2010 may continue to be rewarded in Material Calculators related credits when using GECA products certified against GECA standards no longer recognised by the GBCA.

Green Star projects which have achieved points towards a Design rating in Material Calculators credits on the basis of GBCA recognition of GECA standards at the time, will also be rewarded for use of such products, in compliance to the credit criteria in a later As-Built rating. The As-Built registration date, or the GECA standard against which the products are certified, will not influence this clarification.

Green Star projects registered before 1 July 2010 may be rewarded in Material Calculators related credits when using products certified by any GBCA recognised product certification schemes and standard, regardless of whether the project registered before a particular scheme was recognised by the GBCA.