Acoustic Underlays and Rubber Flooring for Green Star Projects: VOCs, Recycled Content and GECA Certification

What does Green Star mean for flooring / acoustic specification?

Green Star is an Australian sustainability rating system for buildings and fitouts, developed by the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA). For flooring / acoustic specification, the important point is that environmental performance is not defined by a single product characteristic.

Flooring and acoustic underlays can have impacts across several areas, including the materials and resources used in its manufacture, indoor air quality, manufacturing processes and what happens to the product at the end of its useful life. Adhesives, surface treatments and other components of the installed flooring system can also form part of the environmental picture.

For this reason, selecting flooring and acoustic underlays for a Green Star or environmentally focused project can involve considering several different forms of evidence.

Four forms of evidence to consider:

Look beyond a single environmental claim

A product containing recycled material is not necessarily low in VOC emissions, just as a low-VOC product does not necessarily contain recycled material or provide lifecycle environmental data.

Looking at these considerations together provides a more complete picture of a flooring product's environmental credentials and gives specifiers a stronger evidence base for product selection.

For REGUPOL everroll and acoustic products, supporting documentation is available across these areas, including GECA certification, recycled-material and lifecycle information through an EPD, and VOC-related technical documentation. The following sections look at what each of these credentials means and what specifiers should look for when assessing them.

What does the GECA Floor Coverings standard consider?

The standard looks beyond a single environmental attribute. Depending on the flooring material, criteria include areas such as:

• material efficiency and recycled content;
• waste minimisation;
• recyclability and end-of-life considerations;
• VOC content and emissions;
• restrictions on hazardous materials and substances;
• environmental claims and greenwashing;
• workplace safety, fair pay and equal opportunity.

This broader assessment is important because a flooring product can perform well in one environmental area without necessarily addressing others.

How does GECA relate to Green Star?

GECA-certified floor coverings can support projects seeking Green Star certification. The applicable contribution depends on the Green Star rating tool and project requirements, so specifiers should check the requirements relevant to their particular project rather than assume certification automatically provides a set number of Green Star points.

Are REGUPOL everroll and acoustic products GECA certified?

Yes*. REGUPOL Australia has held a GECA licence since 2008, with its current certification covering a range of commercial flooring, gym flooring and acoustic underlay products under the GECA Floor Coverings standard. This independent certification provides architects, designers and specifiers with verified environmental credentials across both REGUPOL's everroll rubber flooring and acoustic underlay solutions.

GECA certification is one part of the evidence

GECA certification provides a useful overarching environmental credential, but it doesn't remove the value of examining individual product characteristics and supporting documentation.

For REGUPOL flooring and acoustic products; recycled material content, VOC performance and Environmental Product Declaration data provide additional layers of information that can help specifiers understand the environmental characteristics of the flooring in greater detail.

Recycled content in rubber flooring and acoustic underlays

Recycled content refers to materials that have been recovered from a waste stream and used as an input in the manufacture of a new product. For rubber flooring and acoustic underlays, this can reduce reliance on virgin raw materials while finding a productive new use for materials that may otherwise become waste.

However, not all recycled content is the same. Understanding where the recovered material comes from provides greater transparency when assessing a product's environmental credentials.

What is the difference between pre-consumer and post-consumer recycled material?

Pre-consumer recycled material is material recovered from the waste stream during manufacturing or processing, before it reaches the end user.

Post-consumer recycled material has already served its intended purpose before being recovered and used again as a manufacturing input.

REGUPOL's Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) identifies both types within the recycled materials used to manufacture its rolls and sheets. Rubber, foam and EVA waste are identified as pre-consumer materials, while recycled SBR rubber is identified as post-consumer material.

What happens to manufacturing waste?

Recycled content is only one aspect of material efficiency. The way waste is managed during production is another consideration.

REGUPOL reports that production residues are shredded and returned to the production cycle, with waste avoidance identified as the primary objective.

The EPD describes the manufacturing process as practically waste-free in this respect, as potential production waste is internally recycled back into the process.

Recycled content and recyclability are not the same thing

These terms are sometimes used interchangeably, but they describe two different stages of a product's lifecycle.

Recycled content describes recovered material that has already been incorporated into a product.

Recyclability describes the potential for that product's materials to be recovered and used again at the end of its service life.

The REGUPOL EPD states that its rolls and sheets can, in principle, be reused or recycled and describes them as almost 100% recyclable when free from foreign materials and contaminants. It also importantly notes that the end-of-life outcome depends on the availability of appropriate collection and recycling infrastructure.

VOC content vs VOC emissions: what's the difference?

VOC content and VOC emissions are related, but they are not the same thing. Understanding the difference is particularly important when assessing a flooring system, because the flooring itself and the products used to install or finish it may need to be considered differently.
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are carbon-based compounds that can evaporate into the air. In building materials, VOCs are considered because emissions from products used within an interior can affect indoor air quality.

What is VOC content?

VOC content is commonly expressed in grams per litre (g/L) and can be tested against requirements or limits applicable to the particular product type.

For a flooring installation, this means it is important not to assess the flooring material in isolation. The adhesive, primer or surface finish specified as part of the installation can also contribute to the overall VOC considerations of the flooring system.

What are VOC emissions?

VOC emissions refer to the VOCs that a finished material releases into the surrounding air over time. Rather than measuring what is contained within a formulation, emissions testing assesses what is actually emitted from a product under controlled conditions. This can be particularly relevant to finished interior materials such as flooring / acoustic underlays.

REGUPOL products have been subject to VOC emissions testing, providing additional technical information about emissions from the finished material.

Why does the distinction matter?

A product can have documented VOC content without that information necessarily telling you how the finished material will emit VOCs into the indoor environment. Similarly, emissions testing of the flooring itself does not automatically tell you about the VOC content of the adhesive, primer or sealer used during installation.

Consider the complete flooring system

When assessing VOCs for an environmentally focused project, it is useful to consider all of the products that will form part of the installed flooring system:

VOC documentation is available across different components of its flooring systems. However, the products used can vary according to the flooring selected, substrate, installation method and whether a surface treatment is required.

What environmental information does an EPD provide?

Depending on its scope, an EPD can provide information about environmental impacts associated with:

• Raw material sourcing and processing: the resources and materials used to manufacture the product.
• Manufacturing: energy consumption, emissions and other environmental impacts arising during production.
• Transport and installation: impacts associated with delivering and installing the product, where included in the assessment.
• Use and maintenance: environmental considerations during the product's service life, where assessed.
• End-of-life: potential impacts associated with disposal, recovery or recycling.

How is an EPD different from GECA certification?

Although both provide independently verified environmental information, they serve different purposes.

Do REGUPOL everroll and acoustic products have an EPD?

Yes*. REGUPOL has an independently verified Environmental Product Declaration covering its rolls and sheets, including the everroll flooring range. Most REGUPOL acoustic underlays are also covered (please check the list below). Published through the Institut Bauen und Umwelt (IBU) EPD programme, the declaration follows ISO 14025 and EN 15804+A2 and is valid until August 2028:

The declaration provides lifecycle environmental information relating to REGUPOL's manufacturing operations in Germany, including material inputs, energy and resource use, environmental impacts and end-of-life scenarios. For specifiers, the EPD complements REGUPOL everroll's GECA certification by providing quantified lifecycle data alongside its independently assessed environmental credentials.

Why does an EPD matter for Green Star projects?

An EPD can provide supporting environmental information for material selection and, where recognised by the applicable rating tool, contribute to project sustainability assessments.

However, the availability of an EPD should not be confused with automatic Green Star compliance or a guaranteed credit contribution. Its relevance depends on the requirements of the project and the rating tool being used.

An EPD provides transparency about environmental impacts. When considered alongside GECA certification, recycled content and VOC documentation, it helps specifiers build a more complete, evidence-based understanding of a flooring product's environmental performance.

What should specifiers check when selecting rubber flooring / acoustic underlay for a Green Star project?

When selecting rubber flooring / acoustic underlay for a Green Star project, specifiers should consider both the environmental credentials of the product and the requirements of the complete installed system. Independent certification, recycled content, VOC documentation and lifecycle information can all contribute to an informed assessment. The following checklist brings together the key considerations discussed in this guide.

Lifecycle environmental information
Is an independently verified Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) available, and does its scope cover the proposed flooring product?

Manufacturing and end-of-life considerations
What information is available about manufacturing waste, resource efficiency, recyclability and practical end-of-life options?

Documentation and project requirement
Are the certificates and technical reports current and applicable to the selected product and installation system? Have they been assessed against the project's relevant Green Star requirements?

Match the evidence to the project requirements

Green Star requirements can vary according to the rating tool, version and project objectives. An environmental certificate, EPD or VOC test report provides supporting evidence, but does not automatically establish compliance with every applicable requirement.

Early consideration of these factors can help architects, builders and flooring contractors identify suitable products, confirm the required documentation and avoid specification changes later in the project.

The key takeaway: effective sustainable flooring / acoustic specification combines product selection with verification of the supporting evidence. Assessing these factors early helps ensure the selected flooring system is appropriate for the project's environmental objectives.

FAQs

Specifying Rubber Flooring / Acoustic Underlay for a Green Star Project?

ABS West can help architects, designers, builders and flooring contractors select the appropriate REGUPOL everroll flooring / acoustic system and access supporting environmental and technical documentation, including GECA certification, EPDs and VOC information.

Talk to ABS West about the requirements of your project. The team has practical experience supporting Green Star projects.