Sustainability
Certificates
Certified standards for sustainable wood processing
As a wood-processing company, we bear a special responsibility for our raw materials and their sustainable use. With Bauwerk products, you choose sustainable, 100% Healthy living solutions that have been tested according to the highest criteria, meet the strictest standards, and are suitable for sustainable building standards.
We work every day to meet the high standards of our certificates and to continuously improve our processes.
Cradle to Cradle®
Cradle to Cradle® is a holistic approach to sustainable business. Instead of focusing on reduction, it emphasises circularity, based on the principle “waste is food”. For certification, five main criteria are assessed: material health, product circularity, clean air and climate protection, water and soil stewardship, and social fairness. All our 2-layer products manufactured at our St. Margrethen site are Cradle to Cradle® Bronze certified.
FSC®
FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council) is an internationally recognised, credible indicator that the wood comes from responsible forest management. Products bearing the FSC® label meet social, environmental, and economic standards, helping to safeguard forests for future generations. In addition, the label guarantees a fully controlled supply chain in which certified wood is not mixed with non-certified material. On request, all products can be manufactured to FSC® standards.
eco-INSTITUT Label
The eco-INSTITUT tests and evaluates products with low pollutant and emission levels and awards them the eco-INSTITUT label. The testing criteria go far beyond existing legal requirements. Certified products and their components must be toxicologically harmless and as environmentally compatible as possible.
Sentinel Holding Institut
The Sentinel Holding concept enables optimal indoor air quality with contractually agreed target values. This is achieved through the use of tested and approved products and the training of construction stakeholders. Products that are relevant to indoor spaces must comply with the assessment schemes of the Committee for Health-related Evaluation of Building Products (AgBB). These assessments are supplemented by the criteria and limit values of the eco-INSTITUT label.
Blue Angel
The Blue Angel is an internationally recognised eco-label awarded in Germany by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection. Products bearing the Blue Angel are characterised by very low pollutant emissions and ingredients and help ensure a healthy indoor climate. The certification assesses a product’s entire life cycle, from timber sourcing and production to use and disposal, and ensures minimal environmental impact.
ecobau
The independent Swiss association ecobau examines and assesses building products based on their environmental impact over their entire life cycle. Grey energy for production and disposal, as well as ingredients and emissions during use, are essential components of the evaluation. Many parquet floors, as well as adhesive and accessory products, have been tested for their suitability for Minergie-Eco buildings and ecoDevis.
Émissions (VOC)
A French regulation introduced in 2011 requires certain construction products to be labelled with an emission class. The emissions assessment evaluates ten individual substances as well as the TVOC value.
FloorScore®
FloorScore® is the most widely recognised certification standard for indoor air quality for hard surface flooring materials, adhesives, and underlayments in the United States. It was developed by SCS in collaboration with the Resilient Floor Covering Institute (RFCI), a leading trade association of flooring manufacturers and suppliers, and qualifies for many green building programmes such as LEED v4.1, WELL, BREEAM, CHPS, and Green Globes.
EPD & FDES
The Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is a certified document that transparently presents the environmental impact of a construction product over its entire life cycle, including energy consumption, CO₂ emissions, and other environmental indicators. It serves as a reliable basis for sustainable product decisions and for the ecological assessment of buildings. The FDES is the legally required form of this declaration for new buildings in France and can be understood as the French equivalent of an EPD.
EMICODE®
Emicode® certifications apply to construction sealants and construction adhesives. Products awarded the Emicode® label are very low-emission, meet the strictest limit values, and are subject to ongoing independent monitoring. Building products such as adhesives required for parquet installation are tested. Emicode®-certified products therefore help ensure clean and safe indoor air in the long term, creating a healthy feel-good climate in your home.
