Concern over human impact on the environment is currently very much on our minds and in the forefront of government and business initiatives. We find ourselves in a time when awareness of the environment and of our need to preserve limited natural resources is universal. We have been awakened and become aware of our dependence and vulnerability when supply of essential resources is diminished or threatened.

We receive an avalanche of information through all available media, yet it can be difficult to determine what we as consumers, workers, business and government leaders can do.

Sustainable development is defined as “…development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the abilities of future generations to meet their own needs.” (1987, Our Common Future, by the United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development)

Principles of sustainability and sustainable design can be adapted and practiced by all of us through our habits, processes and procedures and through the choice of materials and products we acquire and consume at work and in our homes. To be sustainable, a product must use resources wisely in its production and distribution, must not contribute to environmental pollution or use toxic materials as a component or in production, with consideration given to its whole life cost.

Sustainability may be considered a value, or an aspiration, because to produce anything new will result in an expenditure of existing resources; any material that is not biodegradable will be deposited to a landfill at the end of its life cycle if it cannot be recycled or re-used. To progress is to produce, to consume and to create waste.

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) a non-profit organization dedicated to environmentally responsible building construction and usage has reported that energy consumption by buildings represents 38.9% of U.S. primary energy use[1] and that buildings are one of the heaviest consumers of natural resources, using 40% of raw materials globally (3 billion tons a year)[2].

Guidelines and standards for sustainable practices as related to buildings have been developed by the USGBC and implemented in 1994 as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). LEED is a certification system that provides third-party verification that a building or community has achieved a standard of performance in important areas: Sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality and innovation and design process. LEED can apply to all building types—commercial or residential.

In June 2009, the Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturer’s Association (BIFMA), the trade association for the commercial furniture industry, introduced level™, a sustainability standard for commercial furniture. This standard will verify, through independent and transparent measurement, conformance to a multi-attribute mark which measures material utilization, energy and atmosphere impact, human and environmental health, and social responsibility.

Through consultation with merchants and suppliers we can make informed choices, learning about the environmental policies of the producers and about the journey the product makes to reach our possession. Consider some of the ways we can contribute to the goal of sustainability:

• Use or buy materials and products that contain recycled content and that are recyclable
• Buy products that are produced locally or regionally
• Buy durable products that will last a long time and can be passed on or consigned to a different purpose
• Buy products that are made of renewable resources, such as wheatboard, strawboard, cotton, linen, rubber and wool. These can be replanted and grow to maturity within a ten year period or less. (Cork and bamboo are renewable resources; however, they are not extracted and manufactured in the United States).
• Evaluate the need to purchase: Buy what is necessary
• Look for low VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compounds) in flooring, wallcovering, sealants & adhesives, and paints & coatings.
• Preserve and re-use what is existing

Beginning with awareness, we can assess and then change our habits of acquisition and disposal, to become partners in the goal of reducing the environmental impact of our structures and furnishings.

Contributed by Gary Parish, WRID/Emmons Business Interiors and Heather McCombs, LEED AP/Emmons Business Interiors

Created on October 22, 2009 9:43:00 AM

[1] Environmental Information Administration (2008). EIA Annual Energy Outlook.

[2] Lenssen and Roodman (1995). Worldwatch Paper 124: A Building Revolution: How Ecology and Health Concerns are Transforming Construction. Worldwatch Institute.