TOLEDO, Ohio, Oct. 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Owens Corning today
announced that its award-winning EcoTouch™ Insulation is the
first fiberglass insulation to be certified by the U.S. Department
of Agriculture (USDA) as a biobased product. The certification is
part of a new USDA Biobased labeling initiative to identify
products with ingredients made from renewable plant materials.
The USDA Biobased labeling initiative is an element of the U.S.
Farm Bill that focuses on increasing the purchase and use of
biobased products made from renewable agricultural materials.
The purpose of the labeling initiative is to more clearly
identify biobased products for all buyers, and to promote the
increased sale and use of biobased products in the commercial
market and for consumers. In order to be certified by the USDA,
vendor products are required to undergo biobased product testing by
an accredited laboratory.
Presidential Executive Order 13514, Federal Leadership in
Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance, mandates the
purchasing of biobased products under a preferred procurement
program for Federal agencies and their contractors. The USDA
designates categories of biobased products and makes them available
in a catalog for Federal agencies and their contractors to choose
from when making purchases.
In addition to the USDA certification, EcoTouch™ Insulation was
recently certified by Scientific Certifications Systems (SCS) for
new recycled content figures: total recycled content rose from 50
percent to 58 percent for faced batts and rolls, and to 65 percent
for unfaced batts, rolls, MBI and loosefill.*
The USDA and SCS certifications add to the growing list of
accolades for EcoTouch™ Insulation. In August, it was ranked among
the top five best new products of 2011 by Professional
Builder and Professional Remodeler magazines. EcoTouch™
Insulation also has achieved GREENGUARD Children & Schools(SM)
Certification, is verified to be formaldehyde free - meeting
stringent certification standards for indoor air quality, and
carries the UL Environment Ecologo CCD016 preferable product
designation.
In September, Owens Corning earned placement in the Dow Jones
Sustainability World Index (DJSI World) in recognition of its
sustainability initiatives for the second consecutive year.
"As part of the top 10 percent of the biggest 2,500 companies
worldwide based on long-term economic, environmental and social
criteria, we work hard to deliver solutions, at scale, that improve
our environment and conserve precious resources," said Owens
Corning Chief Sustainability Officer Frank O'Brien-Bernini. "These
certifications provide critical third party validation of the
sustainability of our EcoTouch™ product, setting a new standard for
insulation."
For more information about Owens Corning, visit:
www.owenscorning.com.
About Owens Corning
Owens Corning (NYSE: OC) is a leading global producer of
residential and commercial building materials, glass-fiber
reinforcements and engineered materials for composite systems.
A Fortune® 500 company for 57 consecutive years, Owens
Corning is committed to driving sustainability by delivering
solutions, transforming markets and enhancing lives. Founded
in 1938, Owens Corning is a market-leading innovator of glass-fiber
technology with sales of $5.0 billion
in 2010 and approximately 15,000 employees in 28 countries on five
continents. Additional information is available at:
www.owenscorning.com.
*Certified by Scientific Certifications Systems Registrations #
SCS-MC-02676 and SCS-MC-01025.
SOURCE Owens Corning