Green Business Notebook

Choosing green furniture is one aspect of ensuring you have a green office but how do you know if your office furniture is environmentally friendly? As consumer demand for green furniture increases, manufactures are working to implement green practices in both production and operation. This has led to a range of environmental certifications that indicate the environmental impacts of your furniture.  However each of these certifications looks at different aspects of furniture manufacture so it pays to know about the different certifications before you go shopping. Here are the more commonly recognized certifications you may see on green furniture:

• Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association (BIFMA) International is a not for profit organization that has created a voluntary furniture sustainability standard which includes criteria for the evaluation of energy, natural resources, human and ecosystem health and corporate social responsibility impacts.
•  The Sustainable Furnishings Council (SFC) is a non-profit coalition of businesses in the furniture industry. As well as standard membership, the Council offers exemplary membership at silver, gold and platinum levels for manufacturers that are using sustainable practices.

Aside from certifications specifically aimed at green furniture, other green certifications can also apply to furniture indicating different environmental aspects of the product:

• The Greenguard Environmental Institute is also a not for profit organization as well as an ANSI Accredited Standards Developer. Their certification concentrates on indoor air quality and determines whether products have low chemical and particle emissions making them suitable for use indoors.
• McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC) is a private firm that provides a cradle to cradle certification which considers both the environmental impact of the manufacturing process and how the product can be disassembled and recycled at the end of its life. The manufacturing process and materials are assessed in five categories: material health, material reutilization, renewable energy use, water stewardship, and social responsibility.
• The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is a not for profit organization that provides voluntary certifications to show forests are managed sustainably and timber is sourced from sustainable forests.
• The LEED green building certification has a stream for commercial interiors where it is possible to earn credits for reusing existing furniture, buying furniture made from recycled content or rapidly renewable materials and choosing furniture made from FSC certified wood.

Now you can see there are a wide range of environmental certifications that apply to green furniture. While the range of certifications can be confusing, having this knowledge helps you make more sustainable purchasing decisions for your office.

Anyone who spends hours sitting at a desk knows that a good office chair is vital to their comfort and productivity. It is commonly known that having an office chair that does not suit you or the work you do will affect your concentration and could potentially lead to long term back problems. However when we think about office chairs, we don’t often consider the environmental impact the chair had before reaching us, or will continue to have after it has outlived its useful life. If you want to choose a green office chair that is friendly to you and the environment here are six things you need to consider:

What is the chair made of? Furniture including chairs are made from various materials and some are more environmentally friendly that others. Making sure your green office chair uses recycled materials and natural fiber padding reduces its environmental impact.

How was the chair put together? Many of the adhesives and finishes used on furniture contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which release vapors into the environment. Some of these vapors can affect indoor air quality and human health. Manufacturers are moving towards using adhesives and coatings without VOCs such as water based adhesives.

Where was the chair manufactured? Buying products that are manufactured locally not only supports local industry but also reduces the carbon emissions created from transporting the chair to your destination.

How is the chair packaged? Packaging is part of the overall environmental impact of your green office chair so choose companies that use minimal packaging that can be recycled otherwise it will end up taking space in a landfill. Some companies will take the packaging away to reuse for other products.

Does the manufacturer use green business practices? Aside from the environmental impacts of how materials are sourced, there are also environmental impacts from the general operations of the manufacturer. Check whether the company has an environmental policy or a green business certification. This can help you determine if the company is following sustainable practices.

Does the chair have an environmental certification? There are a range of green product certifications that can be used to rate furniture. Different certifications generally concentrate on different areas of environmental performance.

Asking questions is the most important thing you can do when choosing a green office chair and it helps you ensure that the chair you choose is environmentally friendly. To get you started here are two great green office chairs from well known manufacturers:

Leap Chair by Steelcase

• A fully adjustable green office chair awarded Best Overall Ergonomic Chair by Wall Street Journal.
• Manufactured using powder-coated paints, water-based adhesives and VOC-free manufacturing processes.
• Up to 98% recyclable by weight, depending on the options selected, and made of up to 30% recycled content.
• Contains no PVCs, CFCs, solvents, chrome, benzene, lead or mercury.
• Silver Cradle to Cradle™ Product Certification from MBDC and is level™ 2 certified to the BIFMA e3 sustainability standard.

Aeron Chair by Herman Miller

• PostureFit design supports the way your pelvis tilts naturally forward, so that your spine stays aligned and you avoid back pain
• Specially woven seat and back suspension material conforms to your body and cradles it, keeping the pressure even across your body.
• Over half of each chair is recycled materials, and almost the entire chair-94%-is recyclable.
• GREENGUARD certified and Silver Cradle to Cradle™ Product Certification from MBDC.

Today offices and office buildings are everywhere – from large corporations with many staff to the millions of small home offices used for business, study or juggling the numerous tasks of running a household.   With the number of offices in the world even small changes can lead to huge environmental savings.  Check out these four areas where you can make your office green.

Reduce Energy Use

A green office uses less energy not only to reduce their carbon emissions but also to save money.   Any office appliances that are constantly plugged in are using electricity including computers and printers.  Even the cell phone charger constantly plugged in by your desk is draining small amounts of electricity.  Switching off appliances when they are not use, shutting down computers at night and unplugging phone chargers will reduce the energy used by the office.  With an estimated 4.6 billion cell phone users in the world the energy savings will add up.

Improve the Environmental Performance of the Building

Making your physical office space green  will reduce the energy the office uses.   Make sure your heating and cooling temperatures are set to the right temperature as even one degree makes a difference to your energy consumption.   Check that the office is draft proof and ensure doors are closed so the air you are spending money to heat or cool does not escape.  Replacing your lights with energy efficient options will also reduce your energy consumption.

Save Paper

The office can reduce the paper it uses choosing a printer that prints on both sides and by making the most of electronic communication.  This not only reduces stationery costs but also the number of trees required to create new paper.  Always choose recycled paper products for your green office and if  your area supports paper recycling, make sure the office has a system to recycle the paper it uses.   Here are some more great ideas for saving paper in your office.

Check Your Suppliers

The suppliers you use are an important part of your green office.  Choosing energy efficient appliances reduces the energy used and printers that accept recycled cartridges will reduce the waste the office generates.  As well as purchasing recycled paper, you can also choose mechanical pens that allow refills or pens made from recycled content both of which have reduced environmental impacts.