level Standard

level® Certified Products Qualify for LEED Points

Brad Miller — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 20:39:35 +0000

June 15, 2011 - CHICAGO, Illinois - The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has developed and issued a new Pilot Credit for Certified Products (including level certified products). The LEED “Pilot Credit 43: MR - Certified Products” was posted to the LEED Pilot Credit Library on June 15 according to Sarah Buffaloe of USGBC, speaking at the Annual Meeting of the Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association (BIFMA) International during the NeoCon® World’s Trade Fair.

The credit outlines the future of certified products in LEED and, for the first time recognizes the level® Certification Program for furniture sustainability. The Pilot Credit contains an initial list of certifications that would contribute to various Label/EPD claims. The credit was developed with input from several experts including the EQ subgroup, MR TAG, USGBC staff, and others. It is available for use now and can be viewed in its entirety at the following link:

http://www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=9541

BIFMA congratulates the USGBC on this forward thinking move and looks forward to working with product manufacturers and project teams to help make it a truly significant advancement.

BIFMA level™ Sustainability Standard Wins 2011 ASID Innovation Award

Brad Miller — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 21:42:12 +0000

GRAND RAPIDS, MI (February 18, 2011) - The Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association (BIFMA) International was honored to be notified of selection by the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) this week as recipient of the 2011 ASID Innovation Award. The annual ASID awards honor the achievements of individuals and companies in the field of interior design.

level™ certification is a multifaceted approach to sustainability certification. Based on the ANSI/BIFMA e3 standard, level™ is a third-party verification program that provides manufacturers with valuable resources for evaluating and communicating the environmental and social impacts of their furniture products, company and processes. Under the level™ program, products and processes are evaluated based on criteria including: materials, use of energy, atmospheric impacts, human & ecosystem health, and social responsibility. Certification allows a manufacturer to ensure greater sustainability for their products and throughout their entire supply chain.

BIFMA Executive Director Tom Reardon stated, “We are delighted to receive this prestigious award. There are nearly 1000 products that have been level™ certified to date and the program is transforming our industry. We hope that customers are finding level™ to be a simple interface for grappling with the array of environmental and social impacts that need to be considered in the process of delivering increasingly sustainable products.”

A complete list of all certified products, certification bodies involved with the program, consultants available to assist manufacturers, and educational/training opportunities providing more indepth knowledge of the standard are all available at www.levelcertified.org.

ASID Award winners will be recognized at Celebration during ASID@NeoCon, an awards ceremony being held on June 13, 2011 at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago.

About BIFMA: BIFMA is a not-for-profit organization that provides an effective forum for Members to cooperate and collaborate on appropriate industry issues. As an ANSI accredited standards developer BIFMA develops voluntary product and industry standards that support safe, healthy and sustainable work environments. BIFMA also publishes key industry statistics; advocates for legislation and government regulation that have a direct impact on the health of the industry; and facilitates meaningful dialog and education to support our core services and the industry.

About ASID: The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) is a community of people—designers, industry representatives, educators and students—committed to interior design. Through education, knowledge sharing, advocacy, community building and outreach, the Society strives to advance the interior design profession and, in the process, to demonstrate and celebrate the power of design to positively change people’s lives. Its more than 36,000 members engage in a variety of professional programs and activities through a network of 48 chapters throughout the United States and Canada. www.asid.org <http://www.asid.org/> ASID is the Founding Sponsor of InformeDesign (www.informedesign.umn.edu), a searchable database that enables designers to engage in evidence-based design by using Research Summaries focused on design and human behavior, created and operated by the University of Minnesota.

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CONTACT

Brad Miller
T (616) 285-3963
E bmiller@bifma.org

Webcast: Go Green With level Certification

Brad Miller — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 20:33:56 +0000

Grand Rapids, MI – On February 16, 2011, panelists from OFS Brands, National Furniture, and the Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association (BIFMA) International will participate in a free webcast about the “level” sustainability standard and third-party certification program for the furniture industry. Since its launch in 2009, level has proven popular with buyers. This webinar is moderated by Bill Esler, Editorial Director of the Woodworking Network, and will explore the impact on wood products manufacturing of level certified commercial and institutional furnishings and casegoods?

level was created to deliver the most open and transparent means of evaluating and communicating the environmental and social impacts of furniture products going into offices, institutions and other buildings. The level name and mark is awarded based on performance against a variety of sustainability assessment criteria.

Participants will learn of the credit requirements across four sections of level:

* Materials and Natural Resources

* Energy and Atmosphere

* Human and Ecosystem Health

* Social Responsibility

Presenters will also explain:

* What is the level standard?

* What is the impact on records and reports?

* How does it affect manufacturing, sourcing and productivity?

* How has it affected buying patterns?

This free webcast session will provide a thorough review and understanding of this multi-attribute standard and the level certification program.

Registration is FREE at this LINK.

PANELISTS:

Thomas M. Reardon, Executive Director, BIFMA

Mendy Claridge, Sustainable & Technical Product Solutions Manager National Office Furniture,

Kimball International

Vanessa Hartke, Director of Sales and Marketing First Office, LEED AP at OFS Brands, Inc.

Moderator:

Bill Esler, Editorial Director, Woodworking Network

Date: FEBRUARY 16, 2011

Time: 10:30am CT/11:30am ET

BIFMA Sustainability Standard and level™ Certification Session Scheduled at NeoCon East in Baltimore, MD

Brad Miller — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 05:35:16 +0000

On Thursday, October 28, from 3:00 to 4:00 pm, participants will develop a better, more thorough understanding of the BIFMA sustainability standard including its purpose, its core elements, and how it works. Learning the basics will streamline the furniture specification process for projects. The session will offer comparisons of the standard to other sustainability programs, show how to use it to make evaluating environmental impacts easier, and provide the latest news on level™, the independent certification program to evaluate and simplify the specification process.

Paul Shahriari, CEO of ecoScorecard and founder of GreenMind and Ecologic3 in Cape Coral, Florida will be the presenter of this special session which is eligible for CEUs for designers and GBCI CEs for LEED APs. Paul specializes in the application and implementation of sustainability into the real estate, design, construction and manufacturing industries.

ASID WEBEVENT

Brad Miller — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 20:13:26 +0000

See. Listen. Learn. ASID’s Web Event series has some great programs specifically directed to our Industry Partner members. Reserve your seat today and participant from the convenience of your home or office!

Featured Webinar:

Title: BIFMA e3 Sustainability Furniture Standard and level Certification
Date: August 9, 2010
Time: 1-2:30 PM ET
To Register: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/507279115

Description: The purpose of BIFMA e3 2008 – Furniture Sustainability Standard is to provide measurable market-based definitions of progressively more sustainable furniture. This webinar includes an overview of the content of the standard, including scope, structure elements, prerequisites etc, as well as information on the third party level certification process.

*Please note*: This is only available live on the specified date and a recording will not be available.

We’d like to think, “explode” in a friendly way

Martin Flaherty — Tue, 25 May 2010 19:02:53 +0000

May’s Interiors & Sources issue features a story entitled “Level Certification About to Explode“. While the story focuses on Knoll’s achievement of a level 3 certification for their Dividends Horizon office system (all, it’s a lower case “l” when spelling level), the title of the article speaks to something much larger. It really points to the growing success of the standard.

level is proving to be a pretty powerful force. Virtually all BIFMA member companies are either using or certifiying products to the standard. And, the A&D world will finally have a standard that’s inclusive of all the other standards in the market, but able to give the community a common framework to judge products.

Let the fireworks begin!

The level™ Training Tour Rolls On

Brad Miller — Tue, 18 May 2010 18:27:09 +0000

Last week, level™ sustainability training was offered in Washington, D.C. and continues to reach users of the BIFMA Furniture Sustainability Standard from all walks of life. Architects, designers, government agencies, resource librarians, furniture makers, and many other interested parties are learning the beauties of this multi-attribute tool for making sustainability decisions easy and powerful. And what a great time to be in Washington. Not too hot yet, and agencies are all trying to figure out ways to meet President Obama’s goals in Executive Order 13514 for improvements to the government’s environmental, energy and economic performance.

level™ is a success story on many fronts. Three more office furniture companies have announced level™ certified products in the last month. We are pleased to welcome products from Knoll, Nucraft, and Paoli to the growing list. There are now over 250 level™ certified products with more expected. Congratulations to all the companies that have certified products thus far and our support and encouragement to those working with the standard as I speak!

The next training opportunities will take place in New York City this week and in Toronto on June 3. Get on board online by registering at leveltraining2010.org and let us know if you would like training sessions in your city.

First Reactions From Los Angeles

Brad Miller — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 16:00:44 +0000

The first 2-hour training session providing architects, interior designers and furniture specifiers with an understanding of how level™ certification works took place in Los Angeles, California yesterday. L.A. is the first of nine cities where these sessions will be offered (http://www.leveltraining2010.org). Here is a response from one participant:

I just attended a level certification presentation hosted by Herman Miller in Los Angeles. It was very informative, thank you.

I applaud all those who must have given up countless hours the last few years to bring such a needed, sensible, effective tool together for the industry and for our time - now the work begins in the field to sustain it.

Seems level and the non-profit I represent have potential opportunities to extend the beneficial work each are doing. ANEW is dedicated to shaping social behavior by offering alternatives to current furniture liquidation practices. ANEW works on a national scale to keep surplus out of landfills by directing it to charities and public agencies at no cost to them - ANEW documents and reports the metrics associated with the surplus to support LEED, transparency and compliance mandates as currently being set by the government. At ANEW we’re doing what’s right with what’s left®.

Thank you again for offering this program.

Sincerely,

Rose Tourje, Founder + President, ANEW (Asset Network for Education Worldwide), http://anewfound.org

Thank Rose! These sessions are being provided at no-charge but registration is limited and required for all sessions. Each session will provide a thorough review and understanding of this multi-attribute standard and the level™ certification program. The Interior Design Continuing Education Council (IDCEC) has approved this session for 0.2 CEU Credits, therefore, this course is approved and will be recognized by IDCEC’s core member organizations (ASID, IDC, IDEC, and IIDA).

In addition, BIFMA recently became a U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Education Provider and the two-hour training course has also been approved for 2 GBCI CE Hours for LEED Accredited Professionals. It was added to the course catalog at http://www.GreenBuild365.org on March 13, 2010.

level™ Training Tour Launched in North America

Brad Miller — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 20:50:41 +0000

Two certification bodies - NSF International and Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) - along with BIFMA, are pleased to announce 2-hour training sessions (.2 CEU credits) that will provide the architect, interior designer and furniture specifier with an understanding of how level™ certification works to make the identification of “green” products easier.

The training sessions are being provided at no-charge but registration is limited and required for all sessions. Each session will provide a thorough review and understanding of this multi-attribute standard and the level™ certification program. The level™ mark is awarded to products based on performance against assessment criteria in the follow areas:

- Materials and Natural Resources

- Energy and Atmosphere

- Human and Ecosystem Health

- Social Responsibility

level™ Training Dates for Architects, Designers, Specifiers and Customers

Los Angeles, CA - Herman Miller Showroom - March 24, 2010; 8:30 - 11 a.m.

San Francisco, CA - Allsteel/Gunlocke Resource Center - March 31, 2010; 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

Dallas, TX - Knoll Showroom - April 13, 2010; 5:00 p.m.- 7:30 p.m.

Dallas, TX - Knoll Showroom - April 14, 2010; 8:00 a.m.- 10:00 a.m.

Houston, TX - Houston Marriott West Loop (hosted by National Office Furniture) - April 16, 2010; 8:00 a.m.- 10:00 a.m.

Atlanta, GA - Herman Miller Showroom - May 5, 2010; 8:00 - 10:30 a.m.

Washington D.C. - General Services Administration (hosted by Kimball Office) - May 14, 2010; 9 - 11 a.m.

New York, NY - izzy+ Showroom - May 20, 2010; 8:00 a.m.- 10:00 a.m.

Toronto, ON - Knoll Showroom - June 3, 2010; 8:00 a.m.- 10:00 a.m.

Toronto, ON - Knoll Showroom - June 3, 2010; 4:00 p.m.- 6:00 p.m.

Chicago, IL - Bretford Showroom - June 23, 2010; 8:00 a.m.- 10:00 a.m.

Visit http://www.leveltraining2010.org and register to attend a session in a city near you.

We Need More Done

Martin Flaherty — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:52:08 +0000

This year’s plenary for the Greenbuild show in Phoenix looks really good. Speakers from the National Geographic, Pacific Institute, UK Green Building Council and others will be bringing their expertise to thousands of attendees. Plus Al Gore speaks Wednesday night.This is all incredibly valuable, but I’m beginning to wonder if, at Greenbuild of all places, we need to move beyond inspiration? Perhaps we should dig a little deeper into the rolls of corporate America and pull the sustainability implementers on to the stage? I want to learn about the practical application (of all of this inspiration) from the unsung heroes who are doing incredible work to advance green building.

My work over the years has lead me to people like Denise Vanvalkenburg at Masco, Randy Carter of Steelcase, Kirsten Ritchie of Gensler and others inside and out of the commercial interiors world. Each of these individuals has knowledge that is truly remarkable. Randy and Denise’s understanding of chemicals and their impacts is amazing. And Kirsten is unmatched in taking the abstract and bringing it to life.

Still, at many green events, we often get theory and niche examples of potential change. Why don’t we rip a page from the TED conference and build a green TED? We need ideas from those that are living sustainability from inside the corporate world and making significant, game changing moves.

I’m looking forward to Greenbuild, and I look forward to hearing speakers, and meeting an ever growing sea of individuals who are implementing the inspiration.