In today’s society green is the buzz word, not the color of course, but living green in an environmentally friendly way. In our domestic lives, most of us commit to doing good things for the environment by recycling our newspaper, cardboard and drink cans. We may even leave our cars at home and ride our bikes occasionally. It is good to know that our efforts help to make a difference. Contemporary homes may be built using ecologically friendly products and furnished with environmentally friendly accessories. The compulsion for being ‘green’ has now reached the business world where companies can use environmentally friendly office furniture.
Basic requirements of ‘green’ office furniture are that their core materials are sourced sustainably, ie that trees are planted to compensate for those which have been chopped down for manufacture. Another specification would be that the furniture be manufactured using high levels of recycled or recyclable components, both in the construction materials and packaging. further stipulations are that the venomous gases CFC and HCFC should not be used in the foam used for office chairs and other seating. Energy efficient lighting is also a recommendation.
The key five areas tend to be considerations when pronouncing office furniture to be ‘green’:
1) Packing materials - separately boxed items use more materials than palletized loads.
2) Location of manufacture – sourcing locally manufactured goods saves on fuel and exhaust emissions
3) Adhesives and finishes – these must be non toxic which aids in the reduction of harmful compounds.
4) Renewable materials – the use of products made from fast growing plants and trees reduces the detrimental effects to our forests
5) Recycled content – a high percentage is a must
Practically speaking, eco friendly office furniture performs equally well as and looks the same as the standard variety. Generally, people would have no idea that your furniture had been sustainably manufactured or made from recycled materials. With a little effort, businesses can move towards making their offices healthy, caring work places, and along with our individual efforts, we can all improve our environment.


