Muscatine, IA - Allsteel Inc. has become the first major contract office furniture manufacturer to have its entire product line of seating, systems, desking, table and storage products achieve SCS (Scientific Certification Systems) Indoor AdvantageTM certification. SCS, a leading independent, third-party auditing and standards development firm for environmental and sustainability claims, certifies environmental achievement in indoor air quality for office furniture systems, components and seating.
Allsteel's SCS certification complements the company's approach to environmental stewardship and social responsibility, and is consistent with LEED certification recognizing buildings and interiors that are environmentally responsible, profitable, and healthy places to live and work.
Allsteel was also the first office furniture manufacturer to obtain SCS certification for systems furniture and office seating. Its Concensys® product was the first system and its Sum® collection the first office seating product, respectively, to receive such certification. In all, 21 of Allsteel's product lines have now received the SCS Indoor Advantage Gold designation-the highest level available. Collectively, the entire Allsteel product line, excluding veneer panel tiles, now carries these SCS certifications for indoor air quality.
"It is important to our customers that we provide products for them to comply with the demands of today's green business environment," says Mike Veal, Allsteel vice president, sustainability and alliance partnerships. "Allsteel is committed to developing environmentally responsible products and processes as part of our Rapid Continuous Improvement (RCI) culture. SCS certification allows us to assure that our products positively contribute to healthy work environments."
Allsteel chose SCS to certify its products for low emissions because its program tests for individual product components in addition to those of fully assembled products. "The SCS method is totally transparent-its findings are reported through detailed analysis of a comprehensive range of chemicals rather than just a simple pass/fail for only the most common ones," notes Veal. "This level of detail enables Allsteel to identify opportunities to work with its suppliers to improve environmental performance along the entire supply chain."
The SCS Indoor Advantage Gold certification is the highest SCS certification level available. Certification includes building materials, paint, and office and classroom systems, components and seating. This level of certification meets North America's strictest indoor air emission criteria including: CHPS 01350 - California's Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Specifications for Open Panel Office Furniture; and BIFMA's Furniture Emissions Standards M-7.1 and X-7.1. It also meets the LEED-CI EQ 4.5 credit for office furniture as well as LEED EQ 4.1, 4.2 and 4.4 for other green products.
Allsteel's Indoor Advantage Gold certified product lines include:
Seating - Sum, Relate, #19, Trooper, Nimble, Ambition, Energy, Sensible, Get Set and Tolleson
Systems and Systems Enhancers - Terrace 3.4, Terrace and Concensys Freestanding, Adept, and Reach
Desking and Tables - Ahrend, Merge, and Get Set
Storage - All metal storage
"SCS provides manufacturers, and their customers, with the most scientifically rigorous process for certifying environmental and sustainable products. Our methodology includes meticulous review of manufacturer-provided data, on-site review of the manufacturing plant and processes, and independent laboratory testing of all product components," explains Stowe Hartridge-Beam, SCS program manager, environmentally preferable products.
"Becoming the first contract furniture manufacturer to have all its product lines SCS air quality certified is consistent with Allsteel's business strategy and values, and our belief that lean leads to green," concludes Brandon Sieben, Allsteel vice president, marketing.
For more information on Allsteel's SCS Indoor Advantage certified products, visit www.allsteeloffice.com. For details on Scientific Certification Systems, visit www.scscertified.com.
About Allsteel Inc.
Allsteel Inc. designs, builds and delivers progressive and relevant workplace furniture solutions. The company has Resource Centers in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, New York, San Francisco, Santa Monica and Washington, D.C.
About Scientific Certification Systems (SCS)
SCS is an independent third-party auditor, certifier and developer for environmental and sustainability claims. Over two decades, SCS has developed internationally recognized standards and certification programs aimed at spurring the highest level of environmental improvements, social accountability and product performance for industries including forestry, green building, agricultural production, food processing and handling, fisheries, energy, consumer and business product manufacturing, and retail. SCS was the first company to offer manufacturers a program for verifying the accuracy of environmental claims on products. Certification programs for building products include Recycled content, Biodegradability, SCS Indoor Advantage, SCS Indoor Advantage Gold, Environmentally Preferable Product and SCS Sustainable ChoiceTM.
