UL Environment Announces Validation of First 'Green' Product Claims

Environmental Claims Validation launches with Serious Materials' new EcoRock
drywall product

NORTHBROOK, Ill., June 1 /PRNewswire/ -- UL Environment Inc. today announced
it has validated environmental claims for Serious Materials' new drywall
product, EcoRock(TM). This represents the first validation of claims by UL
Environment since its launch in January 2009, and the first product in the
115-year history of Underwriters Laboratories (UL) to receive an Environmental
Claims Validation. UL Environment is a wholly-owned subsidiary of UL, a world
leader in product safety testing services.

UL Environment validated Serious Materials' environmental claims for EcoRock
by performing assessments and laboratory tests. An audit was conducted for
recycled content; environmental chamber tests were performed to determine
volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions; energy dispersive x-ray
fluorescence tests were performed to determine mercury content; and microbial
resistance tests were performed to determine the product's resistance to mold.
The UL Environment audit validates the following environmental claims for
EcoRock: 80% recycled content, low VOC emissions (meets CA 01350), mercury
free, and highly resistant to mold.

"As sustainable products become more available, third-party validation of
claims by credible organizations like UL Environment will be crucial to
eliminating exaggerated green marketing claims," said Steve Wenc, President,
UL Environment Inc. "UL Environment applies solid science and more than a
century of testing expertise to protect consumers from vague, false or
misleading environmental claims."

Serious Materials, the leader in energy-saving building materials, completely
reengineered the manufacturing and ingredients of drywall with the
introduction of EcoRock, the only true green alternative to gypsum drywall,
which is five times more environmentally friendly. EcoRock is used like
standard gypsum drywall, but requires 80 percent less energy in its core
production. Its manufacturing process eliminates heaters, dryers, calcining,
and the burning of fossil fuels. Using EcoRock instead of gypsum drywall would
eliminate up to 20 billion pounds of CO2 emissions per year in North America.

"Specifying UL rated and certified products has long been the industry
standard requirement for our customers," said Kevin Surace, CEO Serious
Materials. "Green building mandates continue to be required by government
policy and industry leading brands who understand the critical environmental
and economic impact of the built environment. The launch of UL Environment
Claims Validation service is yet another indicator that energy-saving building
products and green practices are becoming the norm, and not the alternative.
EcoRock's UL Environment Claims Validation is just as important to us as it is
to our customers."

UL Environment applies a rigorous, independent testing process to the testing
of environmental claims and allows manufacturers that successfully pass the
tests to apply the UL Environment service logo on product packaging and
marketing materials. This not only protects consumers, institutions and
businesses, it also reinforces the credibility of companies that produce
products with validated environmental claims. Validation also helps companies
differentiate themselves in the increasingly crowded sustainable product
space.

About UL Environment, Inc.
UL Environment (ULE) is helping support the growth and development of
sustainable products and services in the global marketplace through standards
development and independent third-party assessment and certification. ULE is a
wholly owned subsidiary of Underwriters Laboratories, a global leader in
conformity assessment that has been testing products and writing standards for
more than a century. ULE currently offers Environmental Claims Validation(TM)
(ECV), a service testing and verifying manufacturers' self-declared
environmental claims and Sustainable Products Certification(TM) (SPC), a
service testing and certifying products to accepted industry standards for
environmental sustainability. ULE is developing additional environmental
standards, training and advisory services to support organizations in the
sustainable products and services industry. For more information please visit
www.ulenvironment.com.

About Serious Materials
Serious Materials develops and manufactures sustainable green building
materials that save energy, save money, improve comfort and aggressively
address climate change. Full frame R-value SeriousWindows(TM) and
SeriousGlass(TM) commercial glass reduce heating and cooling energy costs by
up to 50%. QuietRock(R) soundproof drywall and QuietGlass(R) reduce material
use, enhance livability, and support dense urban construction. EcoRock(TM),
the only true green alternative to gypsum drywall and five times more
environmentally friendly, uses 80% less energy in its core production and has
the potential to save billions of pounds of CO2 annually. SeriousWindows,
SeriousGlass and super-insulating ThermaRock(TM) drywall support energy
efficiency funding programs as outlined under The American Recovery &
Reinvestment Act (ARRA) including Weatherization (WAP), Green Federal
Buildings, State Energy Program (SEP), Energy Efficiency Block Grants, Energy
Tax Credit for Consumers, and Tax Deductions for Commercial Buildings. The
company was commended by both President Obama and Vice President Biden for its
advanced energy-saving materials and the work it is doing to create thousands
of American green jobs. For more information, visit www.SeriousMaterials.com.

SOURCE UL Environment, Inc.

Elizabeth Sherman, GolinHarris for UL Environment, +1-508-444-6453,
esherman@golinharris.com; or Valerie Jenkins, Serious Materials, Inc.,
+1-408-636-6329, vjenkins@seriousmaterials.com