This American National Standard, NSF/ANSI 342 Sustainability assessment for wallcovering products Standard, has been developed as part of the ongoing efforts of interested parties to document and improve the sustainability profile of wallcoverings using established and/or advanced scientific principles, practices, materials, and standards. Stakeholders involved in developing the Standard included wallcovering manufacturers, wallcovering distributors, end users such as consultants and certifiers, state agencies responsible for environmentally preferable product procurement practices, academics, and non-governmental organizations.

The purpose of the Sustainability Assessment for Wallcoverings Standard is a thorough communication of information that is verifiable, accurate, and not misleading about environmental and social aspects associated with the production and use of resilient floor coverings.

The Sustainability Assessment for Wallcoverings Standard has been designed, in part, to satisfy the following criteria:

• Product design through encouraging manufacturers to integrate environmental and life-cycle thinking into the product(s) design process.
• Product manufacturing encouraging manufacturers to quantify the environmental impacts from their manufacturing, and then act to reduce or remove those impacts.
• Long term value encouraging manufacturers to maximize product(s) longevity.
• End of life management ensuring that existing and new wallcovering products can be collected, processed, recycled, and/or composted within the existing materials recycling infrastructure.
• Corporate governance encouraging corporate social responsibility in the forms of providing a desirable workplace, being involved in the local community, and demonstrating financial health.
• Innovation to give manufacturers the opportunity to be awarded points for exceptional performance above the requirements set forth in this Standard.