Established in 2012, the Living Future Institute of Australia (LFIA) is an affiliate of the International Living Future Institute (ILFI), an environmental NGO and hub for visionary programs offering global solutions for a socially just, culturally rich and ecologically regenerative world.
The role of LFIA is to navigate and propel change in the Australian built environment through the rapid integration of design practices that, beyond merely doing less harm, contribute positively to the environment. Their initiatives include overseeing Zero Carbon Certification, the Biophilic Design Initiative, Declare® program, industry education, regular training events and technical advisory services.
GH Commercial has been a major sponsor of the LFIA since 2019, where we were the first floor covering manufacturer in Australia to achieve Declare Red List Free accreditation. Today, we hold the most Declare Red List Free labels in Australia among our various product ranges and relevant product brands, and the portfolio continues to grow – with 21 Declare Red List Free labels held by GH Commercial that covers over 80 standard products and an extensive range of custom products.
Our continued partnership with LFIA underscores our Believe in Better® sustainability framework under our Better for Performance pillar ensuring many of our products now and into the future, display Declare Red List free certification.
Declare® Certification
The LIFA Declare® program reveals clear information about material specifications via a ‘nutrition’ label of ingredients for building products. This trusted public database and product labelling program answers three key questions; where does the product come from? What is it made of? And where does it go at the end of its life? As a manufacturer we are required to disclose a product’s entire constituent chemical composition to a threshold of 100-parts-per-million. Each label is compared against a list of worst-in-class materials, also known as the Red List. These Red List chemicals pollute the environment, bio-accumulate up the food chain until they reach toxic concentration, and create health problems for construction and factory personnel.
Once assessed, the product is then allocated one of three label types: LBC Red List Free, LBC Red List Approved and Declared. We are proud to announce that all of our products that hold a Declare® label have achieved LBC Red List Free status. This means that our products have been identified to be clear of any harmful chemical that is present on the Red List.
Working across our entire supply chain, GH Commercial has been able to identify, source and utilise the healthiest possible manufacturing components to meet LFIA’s exacting standards. GH Commercial holds current Declare Red List Free labels for our Australian Made Solution Dyed Nylon (SDN) and Designer Jet® products, as well as for a large range of wool broadloom carpets and carpet tiles.
The use and implementation of Declare labels enables our clients to make more informed decisions when making flooring selections, further ensuring that we are working towards creating healthier built environments.
