Remember a few weeks ago, when I said “to be clear, there is no such thing as “CARB Certified Flooring?” Well CARB wants to make that explicitly clear with the updated label advisory.
As a review, CARB directly regulates only the primary panels—plywood, MDF, and particleboard. They have always had very specific label requirements: include a manufacturer’s name, a lot number, a statement that the product companies and finally, the official number of the TPC (Third Party Certifier) providing oversight. And they prefer having a production date too.
So a label might say:
Many flooring producers took that to mean that they needed to put a TPC number on their flooring packages. That led to a lot of confusion because the TPC had nothing to do with that flooring production. It was frankly, very misleading—it implied that the TPC had provided some form of oversight when truthfully, they usually didn’t even know a thing about the company or product.
So CARB has amended its labeling guidance to make that clear. A TPC number should not be placed on a value added product that utilizes a CARB certified panel. They want a company name, a production date (for the floor) and a statement of compliance. Therefore a flooring label might look like this:
So make sure your labels are correct and remember, the TPCs are not taking responsibility for the flooring. Understand the flow of material and who has responsibility for what part of the entire production/sales chain.
Useful link:
Here’s the advisory! https://www.arb.ca.gov/toxics/compwood/outreach/advs384_1116.pdf
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