STEICO_IBR_Expert_Report

Expert report no. 3020 - 1092

Page 2 of 19

It is the objective of the IBR to identify non-polluting building products for healthy living for the

consumer by awarding the seal of approval "TESTED AND APPROVED BY THE IBR".

The seal of approval was created by the Institut für Baubiologie Rosenheim GmbH in 1982 to en-

able consumers with awareness for health and ecological matters to protect themselves against

health hazards caused by building materials and furniture in their residential environment.

The seal of approval is awarded to products which ensure healthy living with respect to building

biology and at the same time protect the environment. When awarding the seal of approval,

we only use scientific and technical analysis methods which are based on normative regulations

as well as the current state-of-the-art of laboratory analytics so that they should be understood

both by third-party experts and by end consumers.

The aim of awarding the seal of approval "TESTED AND RECOMMENDED BY THE IBR" to as many

products as possible is to enable an increasing number of consumers and end users to make cri-

teria related to building biology a critical part of their decision when purchasing products for

building and furnishing their homes.

The tests listed in our expert reports are not supposed to supersede the requirements in terms of

building physics, supervision, legal regulations, or safety. They are merely a complementary set

of tests related to health, physiology, building biology, and ecology aspects which have been

neglected.

The seal of approval "TESTED AND APPROVED BY THE IBR" is based on a holistic perspective. Be-

sides its focus on the tests that determine the potential physiological impact of the products on

human beings and/or the environment, the expert report associated with granting the seal also

honours any product whose production, processing, use, and ecological recycling have no or

only a limited, tolerable adverse effect on the environment.

The emission of harmful substances, e.g. with a carcinogenic and/or mutagenic potential, is al-

ways to be considered as a criterion for exclusion. The seal of approval will under no circum-

stances be awarded to such products.

Any names of companies, products or brands mentioned in our expert reports are protected by

ommendation in this context.