CertiPur-US Lists Three Additives Now Prohibited

 

Three Additional Flame Retardant Additives Now Prohibited in CertiPUR-US^® Certified Flexible Polyurethane Foam

for Bedding and Upholstered Furniture

(Rochester Hills, MI)  The CertiPUR-US^® program has added three new flame retardant (FR) additives to the prohibited substances list in its U.S. Voluntary Physical Performance and Environmental Guidelines for Prime Flexible Polyether Polyurethane Foam for Use in Furniture and Bedding which details the program's certification requirements.

Flexible polyurethane foams containing Dimethyl Methylphosphonate (DMMP) CAS# 756-79-6, Tris-(2-chloroethyl)-phosphate (TCEP) CAS #115-96-8, and Tris-(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl)-phosphate (TDCPP) CAS#13674-87-8, will not be eligible for certification by the CertiPUR-US^® program, administered by the not-for-profit Alliance for Flexible Polyurethane Foam, Inc. The program's Technical Guidelines serve as a living document subject to revision as warranted by good science and responsible regulatory concern.

"Our mandate is to be transparent and responsive to changes in what we know about components of flexible polyurethane foam," said CertiPUR-US^® program Executive Director Michael Crowell. "We are continually evaluating information from the science community, stakeholders, and government and regulatory agencies to ensure that our Technical Guidelines stay current. Based on strong scientific evidence, DMMP, TCEP, and TDCPP belong on our list of prohibited substances."

Crowell cautions that program participation does not imply that certification means there are no FR additives in the product, but the addition of three more substances does increase the number of FR additives being screened. Crowell notes there is a great deal of misinformation about FR additives, including the mistaken assumption that FR additives are widely used in mattress foam.

According to Crowell, interest in the CertiPUR-US^® program has increased dramatically as manufacturers and retailers see the foam product certification program as an effective way to address consumers' questions about possible content and emissions of concern in their mattresses, bedding products, and upholstered furniture. "We are getting an unprecedented number of calls from consumers who are making purchasing decisions based on whether a product contains certified foam."

The CertiPUR-US^® program is a voluntary testing, analysis, and certification program for flexible polyurethane foam used as a cushioning material in adult mattresses, crib mattresses, bedding products, upholstered furniture, and some accessory comfort products.

Any changes to the CertiPUR-US^® Technical Guidelines are made by the consent of the Board of Directors of the Alliance for Flexible Polyurethane Foam, Inc. Consumers can access the complete Technical Guidelines and a list of companies offering products that contain CertiPUR-US^®-certified foam by visiting www.certipur.us.