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Office furnishings
Choose eco-friendly office chairs
Evolve Chatham
The Chatham office chair from Evolve uses 100 percent recycled polyester upholstery, is finished with VOC- and solvent-free epoxy powder coating, and is GREENGUARD-certified.Haworth Zody
The Zody task chair is made of 50 percent recycled materials, is 98 percent recyclable, contains easily replaceable parts, and is assembled using energy that is offset with green-e certified wind energy certificates. It is certified as a Cradle to Cradle™ Gold product by MBDC, and is GREENGUARD certified.Herman Miller Celle
This durable work chair is made of 33 percent recycled materials. Celle is Gold Cradle-to-Cradle and GREENGUARD certified, and can contribute to LEED credits in the office. All parts are replaceable and the chair can be disassembled in under five minutes for easy recycling.HMU Remanufactured Matrex 2300 Professional Chair
HMU remanufactures Herman Miller office furnishings: the company acquires furniture that is no longer needed, disassembles the pieces, and uses the parts to build new, usable furniture finished with eco-friendlier powder-coat paint. This redirects Herman Miller's already eco-friendly office furniture from the landfill back to the field.Izzydesign Zachary
Izzy's Zachary chair is GREENGUARD certified, contains easily interchangeable parts, and can be upholstered in Momentum Textiles recycled fabrics. Izzy products use water-based adhesives and finishes, VOC-free powder-coat paint, recycled steel, FSC-certified wood, and recycled packaging.Knoll Life
The GREENGUARD-certified Life office chair is made from 52 to 62 percent recycled materials (depending on whether you opt for the plastic or the aluminum base model) and is 70 to 80 percent recyclable. The chairs are manufactured in a LEED Gold Certified building, where energy use is offset with electricity generated by wind power.National Fuel
GREENGUARD and Indoor Advantage Gold certified, National's Fuel office chair is made of 25 percent recycled steel, 100 percent recycled polyester upholstery, and low-emitting plywood. The chair is powder-coat finished and uses water-based adhesives.Steelcase Think
The Think chair was developed through a joint effort between Steelcase and MBDC's Cradle to Cradle Product Certification specialists, ensuring that all materials used in the chair are safe for the environment and for human health, and that the manufacture of the chair uses energy and water responsibly.
Choose desks made from renewable or recycled materials
Brave Space Delta Desk
This desk, made of FSC-certified maple plywood, boasts eco-friendly enamel paneling, a nontoxic, water-based finish, and low- VOC adhesives. It is also designed with efficiency in mind to reduce waste.Haworth York
The York desk from Haworth features energy-efficient lighting, recycled content, and 50 percent certified wood. York offers the choice of Lyptus, a plantation-grown rapidly renewing hybrid eucalyptus tree that utilizes the same root structure for subsequent growths.Herman Miller Passage Desking System
The Passage desking system is made of 40 percent recycled materials, contains reclaimed wood, is 70 percent recyclable, carries Cradle to Cradle and GREENGUARD certifications, and is available with a bamboo veneer work surface.Knoll Magnusson
Knoll's Magnusson desk is available in FSC-certified composite wood, is GREENGUARD certified, and can help meet US Green Building Council LEED requirements. Knoll uses a LEED Gold and ISO 14001 Certified building, where energy use is offset with electricity generated by wind.Knú Desk #4
Knú's Desk #4 is made of FSC-certified wood, is available in six eco-friendly veneers, and is finished with low-VOC varnish. Even the handy pencil drawer is made from recyclable injection-molded plastic.Steelcase Context
The Cradle to Cradle-certified Context is made from 40 percent recycled content and is 92 percent recyclable. It is finished with low-VOC powder-coat paint and water-based adhesives.The Simple Furniture Company InModern Linear Desk
Made of FSC-certified SmartWood, the Linear desk from the InModern collection is 100 percent formaldehyde-free, uses no glues, and is finished with nontoxic, water-based stains and a UV-cured finish to minimize greenhouse gases. Made in the US with North America-sourced materials.
Choose eco-friendly workstations
Baltix ecoBuzz
Baltix work stations are available in FSC-certified wood, wheat straw, sunflower husks, recycled newsprint, and recycled plastic. Adhesives are formaldehyde- and VOC-free.Evolve panels and work surfaces
Evolve offers panels and work surfaces to create the ideal workstation layout in your office. The panel interior is made from 100 percent recycled wood (reclaimed from their own factories' waste) and polypropylene.Global Adaptabilities
The Adaptabilities line is GREENGUARD certified, does not use use tropical woods, uses powder-coat finishes, and follows responsible manufacturing practices.Haworth Compose
The Compose office system is GREENGUARD-certified, contains 45 percent recycled materials, is virtually VOC-free, and even includes energy-efficient task lights. Completed with powder-coat and water-based finishes.Herman Miller Ethospace
Made from 35 percent recycled materials, Ethospace is designed to last a lifetime: if not, it's components are 78 to 100 percent recyclable. Powder-coat finishes and water-based stains make for a VOC-free environment.Knoll Equity
Knoll's Equity not only uses FSC-certified wood, recycled work surfaces and panels, and low-VOC and powder-coat finishes, it also uses mineral wool for internal panel construction, a material derived from byproducts of the pollution control process at electric power plants.National WaveWorks
WaveWorks offers desks, storage components, conference tables, filing cabinets, and bookcases made of up to 83 percent recycled materials. GREENGUARD certified.Steelcase Avenir
The high steel content of Steelcase products is eco-friendlier than furniture using plastics and aluminum and is easier to recycle. Indoor Advantage Gold and Cradle to Cradle certified.
Comments
2:31pm
Excellent article. Credible certifications are important in office decor, but they can also add an extra 25% to the price tag. If you're a small business, trying to do the right thing and finding the need to prioritize in terms of cost you don't have to disregard anything that's not certified. Many times you can obtain the same green integrity by purchasing your office decor from local, eco conscious businesses who have been following best green practices for years, even tho they may not have obtained third party certifications. Seek out businesses that are willing to discuss their products in terms of sourcing, processing and transportation/fuel impact. You will find that oftentimes, locally sourced wood and furniture for example, are often greener than imported certified products carring the high fuel costs of overseas shipping.
Peggy Farabaugh
http://www.vermontwoodsstudios.com/