The ICC Evaluation Service Sustainable Attributes Verification and Evaluation Program has issued Nu-Wool a Verification of Attributes Report for insulation producers Wallseal Premium Thermal and Sound Insulation product. The ICC-ES VAR verifies the amount of recycled content for the product, which is a loose-fill insulation made up of a uniform low-density mixture of recycled cellulosic fibers—old newspapers—designed for owners and contractors who want a green insulation product with a Class A fire rating that has both thermal and sound insulating characteristics.

Nu-Wool also has ICC-ES Evaluation Report ESR-2217 that provides evidence the product meets requirements of the International Building, Residential and Energy Conservation Codes.

“We knew we had a truly green product, but needed independent proof for our customers and code professionals,” said George Chrenka, vice president of technical services for Nu-Wool. “Coincidentally, just shortly after the VAR was issued, an architectural firm called asking for verification of our recycled content. We immediately sent them the link to our ICC-ES issued VAR, and they were completely satisfied with no further explanation. Next year at this time, a lot of people are going to wish they’d invested in this resource.”

A SAVE evaluation involves both inspection of the manufacturer’s production process and review of independent product testing, where required. Manufacturers that successfully complete the evaluation process receive a VAR in one or more of nine key categories: recycled content (pre- and post-consumer), regional materials, bio-based materials, certified wood products, solar reflectance index and thermal emittance of roofing materials, volatile organic compound content and emissions (adhesives and sealants), volatile organic compound content and emissions (paints and coatings), urea formaldehyde resin content in composite wood products, and volatile organic compound content and emissions of floor coverings.

“We’re already seeing a growing demand by practitioners and code professionals for independent validation and verification of green products to guard against unsubstantiated or misleading claims about environmental benefits,” said Mark Johnson, ICC-ES president. “For manufacturers … the SAVE VAR provides an industry-trusted, third-party resource to justify claims of product sustainability.”

The guidelines address the production stage of the item under review beginning with raw material acquisition and progressing through final manufacturing and packaging. SAVE Program reports can be useful when seeking points under major green building rating systems — the ICC-700 National Green Building Standard, U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED, Green Building Initiative’s Green Globes and the 2008 California Green Building Standards Code.