CS-v5 MRc3: Low-Emitting Materials 1 point

Credit language

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Intent

To reduce concentrations of chemical contaminants that can damage air quality and the environment. To protect human health and the comfort of installers and building occupants.

Requirements

Specify and install paints, coatings, adhesives, sealants, flooring, walls, ceilings, insulation, furniture, and/or composite wood products that meet the low-emitting criteria. Points are awarded according to Table 2.

Table 2. Thresholds for Low-Emitting Materials for Core and Shell Projects

Product Categories
The following products and materials are not applicable to the low-emitting materials product categories: equipment related to fire suppression, HVAC (including ductwork), plumbing, electrical, conveying and communications systems, poured concrete, structural framing, structural insulated panels (SIPs), and water-resistive barriers (material installed on a substrate to prevent bulk water intrusion).

Paints and coatings

• Paints and coatings, by volume, cost, or surface area, must meet the volatile organic compounds (VOC) emissions evaluation criteria.
• The paints and coatings product category includes all interior paints and coatings wet-applied on-site.
• Exclude foamed-in-place and sprayed insulation (include in insulation category).

Adhesives and sealants

• Adhesives and sealants, by volume or cost, must meet the VOC emissions evaluation criteria. 
• The adhesives and sealants product category includes all interior adhesives and sealants wet-applied on-site, including those used to install air or vapor barrier membranes and floor-setting materials.

Flooring

• Nonstructural flooring materials, by surface area or cost, must meet the VOC emissions evaluation criteria.
• The flooring product category includes all types of hard and soft surface flooring finishes (e.g., carpet, ceramic tile, vinyl, rubber, engineered wood, solid wood, stone, or laminate), raised flooring systems, entryway (“walk-off”) systems, area rugs, wood subflooring, underlayments, sandwich panels, and air barrier and vapor barrier/vapor retarder membranes (if used inside an air barrier).
• Exclude poured concrete, composite wood subflooring (include in the composite wood category, if applicable), and wet-applied products applied on the floor.

Walls

• Nonstructural wall materials, by surface area or cost, must meet the VOC emissions evaluation criteria.
• The walls product category includes all finish wall treatments (e.g., wall coverings or wall tile), finish carpentry (e.g., millwork, paneling, railings, or trim/moldings), gypsum wallboard, wall base/skirting, interior and exterior doors, nonstructural wall framing, and nonstructural sandwich panels.
• Exclude wet-applied products applied on the wall, case goods, cabinetry (include in the furniture category), countertops (include in the furniture category), bathroom accessories, door hardware, and curtain wall and storefront systems.

Ceilings

• Nonstructural ceiling materials, by surface area or cost, must meet the VOC emissions evaluation criteria.
• The ceilings product category includes all types of ceiling finishes (e.g., ceiling panels and ceiling tile), suspension grids, surface ceiling structures (such as gypsum wallboard or plaster), suspended systems (including canopies and clouds), and nonstructural sandwich panels.
• Exclude wet-applied products applied on the ceiling and corrugated metal decking.

Insulation

• Insulation products, by surface area or cost, must meet the VOC emissions evaluation criteria.
• The insulation product category includes all thermal and acoustic boards, batts (faced and unfaced), rolls, blankets, sound attenuation fire blankets, and foamed-in-place, loose-fill, blown, and sprayed insulation.
• Exclude insulation installed outside an air barrier .

Furniture

• Furniture in the project scope of work, by cost, area, or number of units, must meet the furniture emissions evaluation criteria or VOC emissions evaluation criteria.
• The furniture product category includes all office furniture, cubicles/systems furniture, seating, desks, tables, filing/storage, specialty items, beds, case goods, casework, countertops, movable/demountable partitions, bathroom/toilet partitions, shelving, lockers, retail fixtures (including slatwall), window treatments, and furnishing items (such as nonfixed area rugs, cubicle curtains, and mattresses) purchased for the project.
• A custom item in the furniture category is considered to meet the low-emitting criteria if all components of the finished piece, applied on-site or off-site, are declared under the furniture category and meet the VOC emissions evaluation criteria. Alternatively, a custom piece meets the criteria if the finished piece meets the furniture emissions evaluation or VOC emissions evaluation criteria.
• Exclude office and bathroom accessories, art, recreational items (such as game tables), cabinet and drawer hardware, and planters from the credit.

Composite wood

• Composite wood products, by surface area or cost, must meet the formaldehyde emissions evaluation criteria.
• The composite wood product category includes all particleboard, medium density fiberboard (both medium density and thin), hardwood plywood with veneer, composite or combination core, and wood structural panels or structural wood products.

Low-Emitting Criteria
VOC emissions evaluation criteria

• Third-party certification: Product has a qualifying third-party certification, valid at the time of product purchase, that demonstrates testing and compliance according to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Standard Method v1.2-2017 using the private office scenario. Products used in classrooms may be modeled using the schools or private office scenario. 

OR

• Qualified independent laboratory report: Product has a qualifying laboratory report (or summary) demonstrating the product has been tested no more than three years prior to the product’s purchase, according to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Standard Method v1.2-2017. Products must meet the VOC limits in Table 4-1 of the private office scenario. Products used in classrooms may be modeled using the schools or private office scenario.

OR

• Product is inherently non-emitting, salvaged, or reused.

Furniture emissions evaluation criteria

• Product has a qualifying third-party certification, valid at the time of product purchase, that demonstrates testing according to ANSI/BIFMA Standard Method M7.1-2011 (R2021) and complies with specific sections of the ANSI/BIFMA e3-2014 or e3-2024, "Furniture Sustainability Standard." Statements of product compliance must include the exposure scenario(s).
• Seating products must be evaluated using the seating scenario. Classroom furniture must be evaluated using the standard school classroom scenario. Other products should be evaluated using the open plan or private office scenario, as appropriate. The open plan scenario is more stringent.

OR

• Product is inherently non-emitting, salvaged, or reused.

Formaldehyde Emissions Evaluation Criteria
Product has a qualifying third-party certification from a California Air Resources Board (CARB)-approved/EPA-recognized third-party certifier (TPC), valid at the time of product purchase, that demonstrates the product is one of the following:

• Certified as ultra-low-emitting formaldehyde (ULEF) product under the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act, Formaldehyde Emission Standards for Composite Wood Products (TSCA, Title VI) (EPA TSCA Title VI), or CARB Airborne Toxic Control Measure (ATCM).
• Certified as no added formaldehyde resins (NAF) product under EPA TSCA Title VI or CARB ATCM.
• Wood structural panels manufactured according to PS 1-09 or PS 2-10 (or one of the standards considered by CARB to be equivalent to PS 1 or PS 2) and labeled bond classification Exposure 1 or Exterior.
• Structural wood product manufactured according to ASTM D5456 (for structural composite lumber), ANSI A190.1 (for glued laminated timber), ASTM D5055 (for I-joists), ANSI PRG 320 (for cross-laminated timber), or PS 20-15 (for finger-jointed lumber).

OR

• Product is inherently non-emitting, salvaged, or reused.