While we have always been proud of the work we do to keep children safe during play at No Fault, we are also pleased with the role we play in helping to preserve the environment.
You already know that by using No Fault products you achieve your safety goals, allowing kids to play while reducing the risk of serious injury.
But, did you know you that by using our surfacing you are partnering with a company that has incorporated “green” technology into our products since our inception in 1974?
Almost all of our products contain some amount of recycled materials, including a few which are completely comprised of recycled materials. Today, we will talk about how our industry is “going green” and the ways No Fault can help your organization be more environmentally aware.
LEED-ing The Way in Green Manufacturing
The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) is a nonprofit organization committed to sustainability through energy-saving green construction. The USGBC transforms the way buildings and communities are designed, built, and operated. It enables an eco-friendly, socially responsible, healthy, and prosperous environment that improves the quality of life.
The USGBC Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system is a green building certification program that recognizes best-in-class building strategies and practices. LEED was created to recognize environmental leadership and raise consumer awareness of green building and sustainability.
As more organizations adopt green building philosophies, LEED certification is becoming increasingly important. LEED applies to the environmental performance of all aspects of a building or project, including playgrounds.
Your commercial playground manufacturer likely uses materials that have the lowest possible impact on the environment. Building standards like USGBC’s LEED help us achieve this goal.
Credits Where Credits Are Due
Playground safety products can help architects and designers earn points toward LEED certification. And here’s the good news: Most No Fault products are eligible for LEED credits!
Companies are now incentivized to use “green” materials to receive tax benefits. Products themselves are not LEED certified, but many products can help a building project qualify under the LEED rating system.
The entire purpose of LEED credits is to increase the demand for building products that incorporate recycled content, thereby decreasing the negative effects of the manufacturing process.
No Fault is proud to offer an array of surfacing that helps customers qualify for these credits. Currently, our products qualify under credit numbers MR 4, MR 4.1-4.2 and EQ 4.1. Our No Fault Safety Surfacing, for example, can help contribute to LEED in a variety of areas, including recycled content and heat island reduction.
No Fault’s Role in Sustainability
Over the years, No Fault has kept millions of tires from landfills. A term you will see several times on this website is: “100% recycled tire rubber.”
The more pre-consumer and post-consumer recycled content we use, the more we help keep existing materials in a continuous cycle of use and reuse – without compromising quality, durability, and performance.
To clarify, here are a couple of definitions:
Pre-consumer recycled content refers to the recycling of scraps, trimmings, and other by-products that were produced by manufacturers and processors and never used in the consumer market.
Post-consumer recycled content refers to recycled products that have been used in the consumer market and would be disposed of as waste. They are collected in recycling programs and include such items as paper, aluminum cans, plastic bottles and tires.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has endorsed the use of recycled rubber to cushion the surfaces of children’s playgrounds. Since our No Fault Rubber Mulch, for example, is manufactured from 100 percent recycled tire rubber, it is considered an environmentally sustainable product.
While No Fault’s main purpose is to protect the safety of children on playgrounds, we are equally proud of our efforts over the years to protect the environment. As No Fault continues to grow, so will our efforts to maintain that commitment.
Conclusion
Is your organization pursuing LEED certification? Are you looking for every LEED point you can get? If so, No Fault can help!
Building “green” has always been an important aspect of No Fault’s business. In fact, we followed environmental standards before there were any!
No Fault works with businesses, communities, and schools to provide a clean and safe place to play locally while thinking globally. As our business grows, so does our expanding impact on the environment.
That mantra guides No Fault’s commitment to the safety of children, their future and the environment in which they live. Contact us today to speak with a representative. We’ll help you meet the ever-changing demands of being an environmentally conscious owner, operator, contractor, or community leader.