INVISTA announced that SCS Global Services (SCS), an internationally recognized independent certifier and standards developer, has provided third-party validation of the Antron fiber brand Comparative Claims Standards Process. This validation confirms that the process, which evaluates carpets made from Antron fibers under key technical performance parameters, is based on sound science and produces statistically significant results.
INVISTA sought the expertise of SCS, which has been conducting independent certification in the carpet and green building sectors for two decades, to evaluate the Antron brand's protocol, methodologies and comparative findings of its performance testing process. After a thorough review, SCS validated that the process adheres to industry standardized test protocols, as well as stringent supplemental testing and rigorous evaluation methodologies, to evaluate technical performance characteristics such as soil and stain resistance, colorfastness and texture retention. SCS further validated that the results yielded by this process constitute statistically valid comparative performance claims.
"INVISTA places a strong emphasis on performance of its products," said Marc Ahrens, commercial vice president. "We are pleased that SCS has validated the rigor and science behind our processes for confirming this performance, both in terms of technical parameters and the environment." He noted that Antron fiber has already been certified by SCS as an Environmentally Preferable Product (EPP) in its category, signifying superior environmental performance based on a full life cycle assessment (LCA).
"We are pleased to confirm that INVISTA's Comparative Claims Performance Standard provides a scientifically sound basis for comparing the performance characteristics of carpets made from Antron fiber with other fiber sources," said Keith Killpack, Manager, LCA Services as SCS Global Services. "Technical performance plus environmental preferability is a real win-win for Antron customers."
"With all of the product claims in the market, it has become increasingly hard for customers to determine if performance and environmental claims made by manufacturers are valid," stated Ahrens. "Our goal is to provide customers with information they can rely on, which this third party validation should provide."
SCS' comprehensive evaluation and resulting validation gives customers the assurance that carpets made with Antron® carpet fiber will meet their carpet performance expectations, thereby decreasing the need for premature replacement. This can play a significant role in reducing both the costs associated with replacement and the environmental impact.
"Specifiers and end-users can be confident that they are selecting carpets with long-term performance and durability and a much lower environmental impact than carpets made from competing fibers," said Ahrens.
