The first furniture products have been certified to the newest version of the ANSI/BIFMA e3 Furniture Sustainability Standard. The standard was published in February 2019 and office furniture manufacturer Tayco, based in Toronto, has received LEVEL certification from Intertek, one of six certification bodies authorized to grant the LEVEL mark.
LEVEL is an evaluation and certification system for environmentally-preferable and socially-responsible office furniture. The LEVEL program has three performance tiers; LEVEL 1, 2, and 3. The higher the number, the more criteria considered and met.
The 2019 standard updates the 2014 version and harmonizes with other leading programs using a product manufacturing, use, and recovery lens. The standard and certification mark are recommended by many governmental and private sector institutional purchasers for its comprehensive, multi-attribute approach to increased sustainability in furniture products. The 2014 version saw 72 manufacturers certify over 4,600 products to it, and it will remain available for use until February of 2020. After that, the three-year LEVEL certifications will have to begin using the new version upon recertification.
Tayco’s CEO Kevin Philips said “We understand that manufacturing can have a large impact on the environment and we are making a conscious effort to reduce our footprint in everything we create. It is rewarding for our employees, suppliers and customers to see that Tayco is committed to doing what is right for our planet and its people.”
Philips continued “Attempting the BIFMA e3 standard gave us the opportunity to take an in depth look at sustainability in all areas of the business including our environmental impact, health and wellness impacts, and social impacts. We couldn’t be more pleased to be the first to achieve LEVEL 2 with the new ANSI/BIFMA e3-2019 Furniture Sustainability Standard.”
Copies of the standard are available along with guidance documents and may be ordered online at this link: https://www.techstreet.com/bifma/pages/home
