In this Issue

The new website is an important first step in a marketing campaign to educate consumers about the benefits of CertiPUR-US^®-certified flexible polyurethane foams, and to drive demand for certified products.

  

"Mattress and furniture shoppers want to know where to find products containing certified foams and the website was designed to make that easier," explains Doug Sullivan, Ph.D., executive director of the Alliance for Flexible Polyurethane Foam, the organization that manages the certification program. He added: "Being able to verify that the foam in your products is certified is also a powerful selling tool for manufacturers and retailers." 

 

Sullivan has seen a surge in calls and emails from consumers looking for foam products that carry the CertiPUR-US^® seal, and from those in the industry who want to promote their participation in the program.

 

CertiPUR-US^®-certified foams are independently tested in accredited labs to ensure they are low emission (low VOCs) for indoor air quality and made without ozone depleters; PBDE flame retardants; formaldehyde; prohibited phthalates; and mercury, lead and heavy metals. Certified foams also meet specific guidelines for performance and durability. 

 

The new CertiPUR-US® website features an interactive hangtag.

 

A lynchpin of the program is the CertiPUR-US® Branding and Style Terms of Use Manual which includes an agreement that participants are required to sign. Hangtag order forms are also easily accessible on the new site. Sullivan says downloadable tools for sales personnel are coming soon. 

 

Interest in CertiPUR-US^® has increased dramatically as manufacturers and retailers see the foam product certification program as an effective way to address consumers' health, safety and environmental questions. That interest is expected to grow along with the success that the CertiPUR-US^® program is already having in the marketplace.

 

Visit the new website at www.certipur.us, or contact info@certipur.us for more information.

An important new change in the use of CertiPUR-US^® logo is effective immediately. The logo with the words "contains flexible polyurethane foam" on the upper rim (as shown here) is now the primary logo to be used, according to the Alliance for Flexible Polyurethane Foam Executive Director Doug Sullivan. He explains: "We have decided that using this logo will help prevent confusion about what is being certified. The CertiPUR-US^® mark only represents certified flexible polyurethane foam--it is not a certification of the entire mattress or upholstered furniture. Although we know this change may create inconvenience for some of our participating companies, we feel the program is new enough that it is better to make the change now rather than later." 

Sullivan said a number of other clarifications have been included in the recently revised CertiPUR-US^® Branding and Style Terms of Use Manual, including the clause that signers are responsible for updates. Click here to download a current copy.

 

There's been a surge in orders for CertiPUR-US^® hangtags that mirrors the increase in consumers who call looking for products with certified foam," reports Helen Sullivan, AFPF's communications counsel. The 3" x 3" hangtag includes a handy checklist that gives consumers comfort and confidence in knowing CertiPUR-US^®-approved foams are low emission (VOCs) for indoor air quality, and made without ozone depleters; PBDEs; mercury, lead and heavy metals; formaldehyde; and prohibited phthalates. Hangtags can be special ordered with a logo imprint, shrink-wrapped and split-shipped to multiple addresses." Click here to download a hangtag order form. 

The Alliance for Flexible Polyurethane Foam has an aggressive program in place to monitor the use of the CertiPUR-US^® mark. The integrity
of the program and its value to participating companies will be enhanced through vigilant protection
of the CertiPUR-US^® mark. From
the earliest planning stages of the program, the mission continues emphasizing transparency to earn consumers' confidence. AFPF conducts random on-site foam production plant checks of participating suppliers. Samples of certified foams are subjected to chemical and physical testing at independent laboratories to verify that they comply with all CertiPUR-US^® technical guidelines. We're also monitoring websites, promotional materials, news articles that appear in the media, advertising and more. You can help. If you see a product that you believe is falsely claiming to use CertiPUR-US^®-certified foam, please let us know and we
will follow up and either confirm legitimate use or take legal action against false claims. If you suspect misuse, please contact Doug Sullivan at dsullivan@certipur.us, or call 828.455.6195.

Myth: CertiPUR-US^® certifies the entire mattress or upholstered furniture. 

Fact: The CertiPUR-US^® program only certifies individual polyurethane foam product groups.

Fact: The CertiPUR-US^® program only certifies flexible polyurethane foam.

Myth: CertiPUR-US^® is for U.S. companies only. 

Fact: CertiPUR-US^® is open to all companies, from any country, as long as the guidelines are met and the foam passes the certification requirements for performance, emissions and content.

Myth: CertiPUR-US^® is a program of the Polyurethane
Foam Association. 

Fact: Although the program was seeded by the PFA, CertiPUR-US^® is now a fully independent program managed by the Alliance for Flexible Polyurethane Foam, Inc.

CertiPUR-US® is a program of the Alliance for Flexible Polyurethane Foam, Inc., an organization formed in 1995  and incorporated in 2008. In addition to administering the CertiPUR-US® certification program, the mission of AFPF is to educate consumers as well as the industry about flexible polyurethane foam as a cushioning material.

For more information, contact info@certipur.us, call 828-455-6192 or visit www.certipur.us. CertiPUR-US® is a registered certification mark of the Alliance for Flexible Polyurethane Foam, Inc.

©2012 Alliance for Flexible Polyurethane Foam, Inc.