Contract Furniture Industry Achieves Major Milestone; Over 1,600 Products Certified under the level Sustainability Program
GRAND RAPIDS, MI – The Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association (BIFMA) has reported that more than 1,600 furniture products have been level program certified. As a result, interior designers, architects, facility managers and others across all industries can easily identify and confidently specify increasingly sustainable products from over 36 manufacturers providing solutions in casegoods, filing, storage, systems, tables and seating.
Developed in accordance with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) procedures, level is the label awarded to office furniture products that meet multiple criteria of the stringent, multi-attribute ANSI/BIFMA e3 Furniture Sustainability Standard. Earning the level mark requires validation by an approved third-party certification body.
level establishes measurable performance criteria to address environmental and social aspects of product manufacturing throughout the supply chain, including the areas of Materials, Energy and Atmosphere, Human and Ecosystem Health, and Social Responsibility. Choosing level certified products assures that the product is produced in an environmentally and socially conscious manner and comes from a responsible manufacturer.
Presently the program includes three conformance tiers, level 1, 2, and 3, each requiring specific prerequisites and conformance to optional credits. level 3 is the highest conformance tier under the current ANSI/BIFMA program. The level certification program allows facility managers, architects and designers to evaluate products using a ʻlevelʼ playing field, based upon the product and manufacturerʼs environmental and social impact.
“In todayʼs saturated green standard marketplace, we felt that it was important to establish a single, comparative sustainability standard that can be used by everyone; one that is transparent and holistic
news release
678 Front Avenue NW, Suite 150 Grand Rapids, Michigan 49504-5368 Phone 616.285.3963 Fax 616.285.3765 www.bifma.org 1in addressing environmental and social responsibility issues. Independent 3rd party certification is key to the credibility and consistency of the level program. level provides a easy method to identify increasingly sustainable products,” said Tom Reardon, BIFMA Executive Director.
A complete list of certified products can be found at www.levelcertified.org ###
About BIFMAʼs level Certification Program
BIFMAʼs level is the multi-attribute sustainability standard and third-party certification program for the commercial furniture industry. BIFMA developed level to deliver an open and holistic means of evaluating and communicating the environmental and social impacts of furniture products in the built environment. Taking into account a companyʼs social actions, energy usage, material selection, human and ecosystem health, along with numerous other impacts, level addresses how a product is sustainable from multiple perspectives.
About BIFMA
BIFMA is the not-for-profit trade association for business and institutional furniture manufacturers. Since 1973, BIFMAʼs role has been to sponsor the development and refining of current and future standards, educate on their importance and application, and translate their necessary complexity into more easily understood and implemented formats. We also monitor the state of the industry, serve as a forum for member cooperation and collaboration, interact with international counterparts, and advocate for regulatory conditions that foster value and innovation.
Contact:
Tom Reardon, Executive Director BIFMA 678 Front Avenue, NW Suite 150
Grand Rapids, MI 49504 Phone: 616-285-3963 Email: treardon@bifma.org Website: www.bifma.org Website: www.levelcertified.org