Sustainability Certifications and Standards

To provide architects with the assurance and documentation they need to meet and verify their sustainability goals, glass manufacturers can electively participate in a range of programs and initiatives that certify their products are a sustainable choice. These certifications may be offered by governments on a national, regional, or state level as well as private organizations with significant influence in the world of sustainability.

In recent years, more glass manufacturers have begun publishing third-party verified Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), which are documents that provide detailed data about the impact a product has on the environment over its life cycle. EPDs may be used as credentials for green building certification programs and are now necessary to demonstrate compliance with certain embodied carbon limits. For more information on EPDs, see “Understanding EPDs.”

Low Embodied Carbon (LEC) Standards

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 and the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) set standards for low embodied carbon (LEC) products. These standards require that products must offer a Type III EPD and an ENERGY STAR® Score as well as an embodied carbon content that is less than 1,401 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent (kg CO2e).

By these standards, LEC products can fall into three different product categories according to embodied carbon content:

The GSA has indicated that it will prioritize products from manufacturers that meet the top 20% ("Most Preferred") LEC material category. While this standard does not offer a renewable certification, its criteria are now requisite for naming a product “low embodied carbon” in the building products industry – especially for projects pursuing additional certifications or compliance with local and national green building standards. For additional information, please see “Low Embodied Carbon (LEC) Standards.”

LEED^® Certification

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is a non-profit organization that issues Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, arguably the most well-known green building certification in the United States since its introduction in 1993. LEED certification is recognized worldwide as a symbol of achievement in sustainability and backed by most of the building products industry and its associated organizations.

The LEED rating system designates multiple options for building projects to earn points in nine credit categories. Glass manufacturers have the potential to help building projects earn LEED points in at least seven, including:

• Integrative Process (IP)
• Location and Transportation (LT)
• Sustainable Sites (SS)
• Energy & Atmosphere (EA)
• Materials & Resources (MR)
• Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ)
• Innovation (IN)

Cradle to Cradle Certified^® Product Standard

Issued by the Cradle-to-Cradle Products Innovation Institute, Cradle to Cradle Certified^® is a recognized measure of safer, more sustainable products made for the circular economy across the globe. To receive this certification, eligible products may be evaluated for environmental and social performance across five major sustainability categories under Version 3.1 of the Cradle to Cradle Certified^® Product Standard: material health, material re-utilization, renewable energy/carbon management, water stewardship, and social fairness. Products may receive certifications in these categories at various levels, including Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum.

In addition to achieving Cradle to Cradle Certification^®, manufacturers may also receive a C2C Certified Material Health Certificate™ at various levels. This document certifies that in producing its products, the manufacturer refrains from using chemicals of concern and is transparent about all chemicals used in products across its supply chains.

Living Building Challenge (LBC) Red List of Materials

Maintained by the International Living Future Institute (ILFI), the Red List of Materials is a list of chemicals that may not be included in building materials that seek to meet the criteria of the Living Building Challenge (LBC). These chemicals represent the “worst in class” in the building industry and are known to pose serious risks to human health and the environment. Currently, there are 23 chemical classes on the Red List, with updates made by the ILFI annually.

Manufacturers can provide a letter of compliance that indicates which products meet the LBC Red List of Materials criteria and/or which specific chemicals are not present in its products. Please note that glass manufacturers compliance with the LBC Red List materials may only apply to the glass used within insulating glass (IG) and/or monolithic configurations. Other component materials (sealants, desiccant, spacer, frits, interlayers, and spandrel coatings) may not be covered by the manufacturer’s compliance letter.

State-Level “Buy Clean” Acts

The Buy Clean California (BCCA) Act and Buy Clean Colorado (BCCO) Act are two state-level laws that address carbon emissions associated with the production of specific products, including flat glass. These acts require the California Department of General Services or Colorado’s Office of the State Architect (OSA) to establish a maximum acceptable global warming potential (GWP) benchmark for the covered products. For flat glass used in infrastructure projects in California and Colorado, the BCCA and BCCO Acts require that state agencies evaluate products using EPDs and utilize products demonstrating a lower GWP than the product benchmark.

Other Sustainability Certifications

Conflict Minerals Reporting Template

Developed by the Responsible Minerals Initiative RMI), the Conflict Minerals Reporting Template (CMRT) is a standardized reporting template that documents information shared throughout the supply chain relating to mineral country of origin, as well as any smelters and refiners being used in the process. The CMRT is free to use and is also important in identifying new smelters and refiners that may need to be assessed via the RMI’s Responsible Minerals Assurance Process (RMAP), so Vitro strongly encourages its use when applicable.

Proposition 65 (California)

Officially introduced in 1986 as the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act, Proposition 65 is a piece of California legislation that “protects the state's drinking water sources from being contaminated with chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm, and requires businesses to inform Californians about exposures to such chemicals.” As a result of this initiative, California maintains and updates a list of chemicals that are known to cause cancer or reproductive harm, and businesses such as Vitro that have operations in California must avoid the use of these chemicals to maintain compliance with Proposition 65.

RoHS and REACH Compliance

The Restriction of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (RoHS) and Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) are regulations enacted by the European Union. RoHS refers to “a set of EU rules that restrict the use of hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment to protect the environment and public health.” REACH is a regulation that aims to “protect human health and the environment from risks that can be posed by chemicals, while enhancing the competitiveness of the EU chemicals industry, [as well as] promoting alternative methods for the hazard assessment of substances in order to reduce the number of tests on animals.” Companies with business interests in the European Union must avoid the use of substances and chemicals identified in these regulations to maintain compliance.

PFAS Compliance

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) are materials known by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to be “widely used, long lasting chemicals, components of which break down very slowly over time.” Studies have found that exposure to PFAS “may be linked to harmful health effects in humans and animals.”

Earlier this year, the EPA took several steps to address PFAS contamination in the U.S., including:

• Finalizing a critical rule to designate two widely used PFAS – PFOA and PFOS – as hazardous substances under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, also known as Superfund.
• Issuing the first-ever national, legally enforceable drinking water standard to protect communities from exposure to harmful PFAS.
• Releasing updated interim guidance on the destruction and disposal of PFAS-containing materials, building on earlier guidance from 2020.
• Partnering with the General Services Administration to enact changes to GSA’s custodial specification to ensure that products purchased for federal buildings are free of toxic PFAS.

For more information about Vitro’s commitment to sustainable products and practices, please visit vitroglazings.com/sustainability. To download EPDs for Vitro’s flat and processed glass products, see “Sustainability Documentation.” For any other glass questions, please contact Vitro Glass or call 1-855-VTRO-GLS (1-855-887-6457).