In recognition of World Environmental Day, Kohler Co. has announced the launch of its Declare labels, a new human health product disclosure system, and the expansion of its environmental product declarations for plumbing fixtures.
The Declare human health product labels are available now for two of Kohler’s enameled cast iron fixtures, the Villager bathtub and the Brockway sink. These labels detail the material consumption of each fixture, allowing customers to stay informed about the safety of the products they used. The Declare labels are produced using a format from the International Living Future Institute (ILFI), and fulfill the disclosure requirements of the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system.
“Developing our first Declare labels required gathering details on the sourced raw material from each supplier, the quantity of naturally occurring impurities, and the final material composition after under-going chemical transformation during the casting and firing process,” says Jeff Zeman, principal engi-neer for product sustainability engineering at Kohler. “Architects and designers have asked for infor-mation about the products they specify for building projects, and knowing the exact makeup of the raw materials help us continue to invest in product innovation that benefits our customers.”
Kohler’s environmental product declarations (EPDs) are now more widely available for its plumbing fixtures produced for North American and select Asian markets. These declaration help architects and designers maximize LEED certification credits.
“Kohler has long been known as an industry leader in water efficiency,” says Rob Zimmerman, director of sustainability at Kohler. “Providing clear, easy-to-understand environmental and human health data on the products we manufacture takes our sustainability commitment one step further. In partnership with the green building industry, we strive to ensure that all residential and commercial buildings con-tribute to the overall health of their occupants while minimizing their environmental footprint.”
Kohler is third-party certified through UL to create on-demand EPDs, and has so far created EPDs for more than 1,000 of its primary kitchen and bath fixtures.
Over the course of the next year, the manufacturer will work with ILFI to create Declare labels for additional Kohler fixtures and gather information to develop EPDs for Kohler faucets and shower products. The new Declare labels will launch later this year, and the new EPDs are planned for 2019.
