Green Squaredis the flooring industry's first sustainability standard for tile and tile installation materials. Developed by the Tile Council of North America (TCNA) under the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) process, this sustainability standard recognizes manufacturers for their environmental leadership and corporate social responsibility across a broad range of indicators. Scientific Certification Systems is among the first third-party certifiers accredited by TCNA to conduct evaluations under this standard.

"SCS is committed to supporting comprehensive industry certifications, such as Green Squaredthat address a wide range of environmental impacts and social issues," said Michael Wolfe, Managing Director of Environmental Certification Services at SCS.

Products eligible to achieve Green Squared(SM) certificationinclude ceramic and glass tiles, grouts, mortars, backer boards, underlayments and waterproof membranes. The standard addresses environmental product characteristics, product manufacturing, end-of-life management, corporate governance and innovation.

"The Green Squared certification encompasses a wide range of sustainable initiatives into a concise package. It solidifies Crossville's ground-breaking efforts -- from process to product," said Lindsey Waldrep, Vice President of Marketing at Crossville Inc. "We're excited to be one of the first companies to obtain this certification."

"The certification process for Green Squared was both challenging and enlightening," said Guy Renkert, President and CEO of Ironrock. "We learned that we have done many things well and that there is always room to improve. Working with SCS was a pleasure. They were friendly, knowledgeable, well-prepared, meticulous in their assessment and provided excellent customer service."

"The Green Squared standard is one more way in which the green building industry is demonstrating its leadership in sustainability," said Humberto Maese, Executive Vice President of U.S. Operations at Interceramic. "As an early adopter, our goal is to encourage other companies will follow suit."