11
Reduction, Reuse, and Recycling in Manufacturing
Proposed addition 1-15-08
Proposed terms for glossary 1-2-08
Proposed normative references 1-15-08
11.1 Purpose
This section is intended to encourage and reward practices that both reduce the environmental
impact of product waste and the consumption of virgin materials in manufacturing.
11.2 Scope
This section addresses the most evident solid waste streams in the form fiber, yarn, and fabric.
Processes that generate this waste are fiber formation, yarn formation, fabric formation, finishing
and coloration (package and piece dye). Documentation must be done to show the disposition of
production solid waste materials from all processes involved in constituting the product.
Component products (fiber and yarn) will be allowed to comply with this Section without going
back to previous suppliers for data.
11.3 Prerequisites
The credit structure for prerequisites is not consistent with the other sections of this Standard.
Requirements are presented as a range of options, each assigned a number of credits.
Compliance with prerequisites will entail a combination of satisfying mandatory requirement
10.3.1 and at least one of the reutilizations described in 10.3.2 (including landfill or incineration
without energy recovery, which do not yield additional credits).
11.3.1 Amount of solid production waste generated
The manufacturer shall receive one credit if it documents the total amount of
fiber/yarn/fabric production solid waste or off-grade materials generated from its facility
that are relevant to the type of fiber/yarn used for the product. Documentation shall
include flow diagrams depicting origins and route of disposition of these materials. For
example, a yarn supplier or mill using polyester shall report all polyester solid waste or
off-grade material as a percentage of the total polyester product volume, not just the
amount that represents a percentage of the product under review.
11.3.3 Type of reutilization employed
Each product is eligible for a maximum four credits as outlined below. Credit shall be
awarded where 100% of the generated solid waste or off-grade material is used in one of
the following ways.(In the instance that product solid waste or off-grade material uses
several types of reutilization, the calculation shall be performed by multiplying the
percentage by the credit amounts, then adding the credits. Results ending in .5 or higher
shall be rounded up to the next whole number, such as:
% of Production
Solid waste
50%
Points associated
w/reutilization type
Points earned
x3
=1.50
(for type 10.3.2.5)
25%
x4
=1.00
(for type 10.3.2.6 b)
25%
x1
=0.25
(for type 10.3.2.2)
100%
2.75 = rounds up
to 3 points earned
In this example, 50% of wool production solid waste is composted per 10.3.2.5, earning 1.5 points.
Another 25% of the wool production solid waste is garneted to yield new fiber/yarn, per 10.3.2.6 b,
earning 1 point. The last 25% of the wool production solid waste is fuel recovered as energy per
10.3.2.2, earning 0.25 points. The total in this case of 2.75 points would be rounded up to the next
whole number, for 3 points earned.
11.3.3.1
– The manufacturer shall have one credit deducted if materials are disposed
in landfill or incinerated without recovering energy;
11.3.3.2
– The manufacturer shall receive one credit if it uses solid waste materials as
a fuel source to displace the equivalent amount of thermal energy from virgin fossil fuel
sources. The manufacturer shall document that air emissions from the combustion plant
(whether municipal waste combustor or hazardous waste combustion unit) are in
compliance with regulatedions under the Clean Air Act (CAA) and any applicable state
and local regulations. In addition, combustion ash must be managed as potentially
hazardous waste under the purview of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
(RCRA), and must meet all applicable federal and state regulations for disposal.
(www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/combust.htm)
[Normative references:

Clean Air Act (CAA). US EPA federal law. 42 U.S.C. s/s 7401 et seq. (1970)

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). US EPA federal law. 42
U.S.C. s/s 6901 et seq. (1976)]
11.3.3.3
– The manufacturer shall receive one credit if product solid waste is sold or
donated to a recycler;
Note: A manufacturer can take credit if the recycler’s practices fall under 10.3.2 and can be
documented to meet the requirements of 10.3.2 with this Standard’s obligations of transparency
and notification of a change in practice met.
11.3.3.4
– A manufacturer shall receive three credits if product solid waste meets
either ASTM 6400-04 Standard Specification for Compostable Plastics,
EPA’s Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances (OPPTS)
guidelines, or ASTM D6868-03 Specification for Biodegradable Plastics Used
as Coatings on Paper and Other Compostable Substrates and is composted,
and documentation shows the percentage of total solid waste disposed of in
this manner,
[Normative references:

ASTM 6400-04 Standard Specification for Compostable Plastics, EPA’s Office of
Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances (OPPTS) guidelines.

ASTM D6868-03 Specification for Biodegradable Plastics Used as Coatings on
Paper and Other Compostable Substrates
11.3.3.5
– If the product solid waste is reutilized by means of mechanical recycling,
the manufacturer shall receive the following credits for using the following
possible qualifying measures:
a) The manufacturer shall receive four credits if solid waste is re-melted to
chip to yield a new fiber/yarn;
b) The manufacturer shall receive four credits if solid waste is garneted to
yield new fiber/yarn;
c) The manufacturer shall receive two credits if solid waste is added into
the virgin polymerization process;
d) The manufacturer shall receive 1 credit if fiber/yarn/fabric production
solid waste is mechanically recycled to yield a product other than fabric, as
long as the resulting product has an economic value of at least 50% of the
original by weight.
Examples: non-woven and plastic consumer products such as plastic trays,
products containing fiber and or plastic mixed with binders for public use,
such as curb stops and park benches, etc. One additional credit shall be
granted if the reformulated product resulting from mechanical recycling has a
selling price of at least 80% of the original product, on a dollar per pound
basis.
11.3.3.6
– When solid waste is reutilized by means of chemical recycling, the
manufacturer shall receive two credits if fiber/yarn/fabric solid waste is
de-polymerized into its monomers and re-polymerized into virgin quality
resin. Any process chemicals or chemical by-products yielded in the
chemical recycling process must meet the Prerequisite requirements of
Safety of Materials, Section 6 of this standard.
11.3.3.7
An additional two credits can be earned for chemical recycling if each of the
process chemicals and chemical by-products yielded in the chemical
recycling process can be shown to meet at least three of the following
Optional requirements of Safety of Materials, Section 6 of this standard:
6.5.1
6.5.2
6.5.3
Inventory to 100 ppm
Mutagenic substances
Possible or suggested carcinogens
6.5.4
6.5.5
6.5.6
6.5.7
Skin or respiratory sensitizers
Organohalogens
Assessment through PBT Profiler
Endocrine disruptors
Note: 11.3.3.7 awards 2 credits if all process chemicals and chemical by-products of a chemical recycling
process meet any three of the above Optional requirements from Safety of Materials. The credits
associated with these Optional requirements do not apply to 11.3.3.7.
11.4
Optional Credits
11.4.1 Reduction of Solid Production Waste
The manufacturer shall receive one credit by demonstrating that they have programs in
place to make continuous improvement in reducing production solid waste.
11.4.2 Recycling of ancillary materials
The manufacturer may earn up to three credits if the facility where the product is made
complies with any of the following recycling metrics at a rate of 50% or greater of total
volume: Some examples of ancillary materials are solvents, individual chemicals, wood
pallets, film wrap, yarn spools, plastic drums, print paste, etc. The manufacturer shall
receive 0.25 credits for each homogeneous material that it recycles at a rate of 50% 100%. Documentation shall include a report of the amount of material taken into the
facility and of the amount recycled. Invoices from recyclers shall be used to verify
amounts that are transferred outside the facility. The manufacturer shall provide
descriptions of any internal recycling practices.
11.4.3 Reclamation and Recycling of Customers’ Scrap
The manufacturer shall receive 2 credits if it has a program in place to collect scrap
generated during installation or application (e. g., wallcovering installation, or upholstery
or panel application, etc.), to be recycled in one of the processes described in 10.3.2,
other than land filling or incinerating without energy recovery.
12 Recycling of Used Fabrics
12.1 Purpose
The intent of this section is to reward manufacturers who are either taking proactive steps to
design fabrics to facilitate forward recycling or building infrastructure to support reclamation of
used fabrics, or both.
12.2 Scope
This section addresses fabric only.
12.3 Prerequisites
Given the current lack of an infrastructure for the collection and recycling of used textiles, this
section is comprised entirely of optional credits.
12.4 Optional Credits
12.4.1 Design for Perpetual Life
Product stewardship eligibility criteria demonstrate that the product is designed to facilitate
forward recycling of the product at end of use. These requirements attempt to recognize and
reward fabrics made to be recycled into future generations of products. Credits in this section
are cumulative for a maximum of six credits. Qualifying design measures include, but are not
limited to:
12.4.1.2
– For synthetic fabrics composed of a single-fiber type, avoiding the comingling of different, non-compatible fibers to enable forward recycling into
a product similar in form, value and recycling potential, the manufacturer
shall receive one credit; or
12.4.1.3
– For natural fiber fabrics, the manufacturer shall receive one credit if the
EPA’s Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances (OPPTS)
guidelines and/or ASTM D6868-03 Specification for Biodegradable
Plastics Used as Coatings on Paper and Other Compostable Substrates is
used to ensure that material is readily biodegradable and not hazardous to
the soil.
For biopolymers, the manufacturer shall receive one credit if ASTM 640004 Standard Specification for Compostable Plastics is used to determine
that materials will safely disintegrate and biodegrade without diminishing
the value or utility of the resulting compost.
12.4.1.4
– For synthetic or natural single-fiber type fabrics with a finish or backing,
one additional credit will be awarded if the finish, coating, film, scrim,
and/or adhesive, etc. can demonstrate that it can be recycled into a similar
form and value.
12.4.1.5
–If an information trail is provided so that furniture manufacturers,
wallcovering installers, drapery workrooms, etc. can apply the fabric
without hindering its ability to be recycled or disassembled, the
manufacturer shall receive one credit;
12.4.1.6
– If the fabric is labeled or encoded so that it can be readily identified for
material contents and/or source once removed from furniture, in a way
that establishes the proper routing for reclamation, the manufacturer shall
receive two credits.
12.4.2 Reclamation
The manufacturer may earn up to four credits if the product belongs to a take-back program
through which it can be actively reclaimed. Credits in 11.4.2 can be cumulative for a possible four
credits.
12.4.2.1
– The manufacturer shall receive two credits if it accepts shipments from any
end user who chooses to take advantage of the take-back (at their own
expense) of their identified material for recycling by one of the methods in
10.3.2 other than land filling or incinerating without energy recovery; or
12.4.2.2
– The manufacturer shall receive four credits if it:
a) Actively promotes to all end users (for example, by website or other
means of mass publication) its practice of taking responsibility for its
materials by buy-back or take-back program (at its own expense). Any end
user willing to remove material from furniture, seating, systems panel, etc.
where the material was used shall be able to engage in this program; and
b) Manufacturer employs one of the recycling processes in 10.3.2 for
reclaimed material, other than land filling or incinerating without energy
recovery.