Recently in Industry Resources Category

NSF's Indoor Air Emissions Certification Program has expanded its scope to include low volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions found in office furniture.

VOCs, such as formaldehyde and aldehydes, are chemicals emitted by a wide array of products, including paints, building materials and furnishings, copiers, and printers.

VOCs may cause eye, nose, and throat irritation, headache, nausea, and skin problems, but higher concentrations may cause irritation of the lungs, damage to the liver, kidney, or central nervous system.

The NSF Emissions Certification for Office Furntiture  program directly addresses these concerns.

"Numerous interior furnishing products have been introduced into the market claiming a variety of environmental attributes," said Dr. Kurtis Kneen, Director, NSF's Chemistry Laboratory. "End users have been requesting help in order to understand the environmental benefits of each product and to be able to compare products using a consistent basis of measurement. Having standards in place that define and identify low-emitting furniture will assist manufacturers in communicating and end users in understanding environmental and sustainability-related product benefits."

BIFMA Standard: BIFMA X7.1-2007

The new sustainable furniture certification program is based on a Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association (BIFMA) standard for Formaldehyde and TVOC Emissions of Low-emitting Office Furniture Systems and Seating - BIFMA X7.1-2007.

"BIFMA identified a need for an open, consensus-based, and publicly available test method and standard for low-emitting furniture products. Having NSF incorporate American National Standard Institute (ANSI) standards into their program is further verification of that market need," stated Thomas Reardon, Executive Director, BIFMA International, a non-profit trade association of furniture manufacturers and suppliers that promotes sustainable work environments and business practices.

ANSI/BIFMA X7.1 Standards

ANSI/BIFMA X7.1 defines requirements for VOC emissions from office furniture classified as low-emitting products. The standard also:

• Provides requirements for the emissions of VOCs from office furniture
• Specifies acceptance levels that define low-emitting furniture independent of construction materials, manufacturing processes, mechanical designs, or aesthetic designs
• Applies only to newly manufactured products

LEED Green Building Credits for low-emitting furniture

Annual monitoring through audits ensures ongoing compliance. In addition to obtaining NSF Certification and the right to use the NSF Mark on products or in literature, certified products can also be used to earn Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) credits for building projects that specify the use of low-emitting furniture. LEED certification is a nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high-performance green buildings.

BIFMA Test Method: BIFMA M-7.1 for Long Term VOC Emission Testing

BIFMA has also developed a standard test method (BIFMA M-7.1) in conjunction with the standard to determine a long-term (14 days) VOC emission from office furniture. Testing in support of the NSF Certification program will follow this standard test method. The test method identifies VOC emitted and determines the emission rates for individual compounds and total VOC. These data are then used to determine whether the furniture tested meets the acceptance criteria for VOC emissions.

Materials Analytical Services, Inc, Provides Environmental Testing

To provide testing services to the BIFMA standard test method, NSF has established a partnership with Materials Analytical Services, Inc. (MAS), an independent, privately held microanalytical firm specializing in environmental consulting and testing.

"Over the past five years, MAS has worked directly with BIFMA and several other trade organizations to advance the science of dynamic product emissions testing as a means to improve indoor air quality in both today's buildings and tomorrow's ever greener buildings," said Martin Bennett, Senior Consultant with MAS. "Our partnership with NSF will significantly raise the bar for consumers, manufacturers, planners, and architects as the reliable source for delineation and certification of low-VOC-emitting furniture."

For additional information about NSF's Indoor Air Emissions Certification for Office Furniture Program, contact sustainabilitysales@nsf.org.

The BIFMA e3-2008 Furniture Sustainability Standard has been developed by BIFMA, the Business and Institutional Furniture Manfuacturer's Association.  As the trade association for the segment of the furniture market, they have developed sustainability standards to connect their manufacturing members with the wider market of corporations and government buyers who need to fulfill corporate social responsibility and carbon reduction footprints. 

The ANSI/BIFMA standards are intended to provide manufacturers, specifiers, and users with a common basis for evaluating safety, durability, and the structural adequacy of the specified furniture, independent of construction materials. The standards define specific tests, laboratory equipment to be used, the conditions of test, and the minimum acceptance levels to be used in evaluating these products. Copies of obsolete editions of the various standards are available upon request.

The ANSI/BIFMA Safety and Performance Standards are developed by the BIFMA Engineering Committee. The standards are reviewed every five years according to guidelines established by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

All accredited standards developers must follow the ANSI Essential Requirements and their own set of written procedures in the process of developing new or revising existing standards. To obtain a copy of the ANSI Essential requirements go to http://www.ansi.org. If you are interested in the procedures that BIFMA uses in developing standards you may download a copy from the following: BIFMA Revised Proc_14June07.pdf

Also, BIFMA is accredited by ANSI to be the administrator of the U.S. Technical Advisory Group to ISO Technical Committee TC-136 Furniture. This has been very useful for BIFMA in our involvement with International Standards for office furniture. However, ISO TC-136 covers ALL furniture, not just office furniture. If you have an interest in International Standards for furniture that would be other than office furniture, BIFMA would like to hear from you.

BIFMA e3-2008 Furniture Sustainability Standard and level™ Certification Program

Certified Products

BIFMA member firms Allsteel, Gunlocke, HON Company, Herman Miller, Kimball Office,
National Office Furniture and Steelcase have products that meet the standard's requirements and have received third party certification by either NSF or SCS.

BIFMA International and NSF International (NSF) announced the release of BIFMA e3-2008 Furniture Sustainability Standard to the NSF consensus ballot process and American National Standards Institute (ANSI) public comment period in June of 2008. The standard is an open, consensus based method to evaluate the sustainable attributes of furniture products.  It addresses all three aspects of sustainability (environmental, economic and social) and includes criteria for evaluating human & ecosystem health, energy, natural resource and corporate social responsibility impacts. The draft standard is downloadable here:

BIFMA e3-2008.pdf.

In June of 2009, BIFMA announced the premier of the product certification program, level™. For more information, the news release is available at http://bifma.org/news/newsrelease.pdfs/level_PR_05.pdf and the level™ website is:

http://levelcertified.org

Is wood sustainable? How about finishes...and paddings...and metal?  Sustainable furniture recognizes that respectful use and replenishment of natural resources are at the heart of "sustainability." 

Sustainable furniture can use recycled materials, low or no-VOCs in finishes, natural padding materials and minimal design to conserve quantities of virgin materials. Innovation and creativity are unlimited in designing furniture that is more environmentally friendly.

Now there is a trade association for companies concerned about natural resources protection and conservation -- The Sustainable Furniture Council.

The Sustainable Furniture Council is a non-profit balanced coalition of industry players created to promote sustainable practices among manufacturers, retailers, and consumers alike with a public tagging program to identify good choices.

The SFC recognizes the overwhelming scientific consensus that our world is experiencing dangerous global climate change. SFC members acknowledge the tremendous urgency, and will take immediate steps to minimize carbon emissions, waste stream pollutants, un-recyclable content and primary materials from unsustainable sources from any product platform under our control.

SFC members will utilize Life Cycle Assessment as the best method for analyzing the environmental impact of their products, and a verifiable chain of custody as the only acceptable method for tracking wood flow.

In 2008, we will be launching a public advertising and in-store tagging program for consumers to identify retailers and products which exceed our threshold sustainability standards. Our Standards Committee is currently reviewing all legitimate, independent certification schemes to establish eligibility requirements.

For a simple discussion of global warming basics, visit the Natural Resources Defense Council at www.nrdc.org/globalWarming/f101.asp

PROBLEM:  Poor quality furniture with short lifespans and  unsustainable materials.

SOLUTION:  Certified sustainable materials and manufacturing of furniture to provide longer life and lower lifespan costs.