The commercial furniture industry has long been a leader in the quest for responsible manufacturing processes, facilities and products. But the industry needed a common language, framework and approach to help evaluate and improve the sustainability of its enterprises. Therefore, BIFMA International, the trade association for the commercial furniture industry, recently premiered the product certification program level™.

level verifies conformance to the first fully transparent, multi-attribute furniture sustainability standard addressing all aspects of sustainability, including material utilization, energy and atmosphere impacts, human and ecosystem health and social responsibility. Manufacturers evaluating products to the BIFMA e3 sustainability standard and undergoing an independent, third-party certification process can achieve the level conformance mark.

level includes a standard developed by the Joint Committee on Business and Institutional Furniture Sustainability. In 2006 the Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association (BIFMA) and NSF International began drafting the standard with a broad and diverse group of stakeholders following the American National Standards Institute consensus process. The draft standard, known as BIFMA e3-2008, was released for consensus body vote and public comment in June 2008. Modeled after the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Rating System, the standard provides measurable market- based definitions of progressively more sustainable furniture by establishing sustainability performance criteria in four areas: Materials, Energy and Atmosphere, Human and Ecosystem Health, and Social Responsibility.

In order to achieve a level certification, a manufacturer must contract with a recognized, independent, third party certification body. That certification body then uses the BIFMA e3-2008 sustainability standard as a framework to conduct the audit function, measure all required information and finally certify the specific product with the level conformance mark. Manufacturers that evaluate their products against the BIFMA sustainability standard without the third party auditing process will not be able to use the level conformance mark and their products are not considered “level certified”. There are presently four certification bodies authorized to certify products to the level sustainability standard; Intertek Testing Services NA, NSF International, Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) and UL Environment. As the standard continues to grow and is adopted throughout the contract furniture industry more independent auditing firms are expected to apply to participate in the program. Consult the level website (www. levelcertified.org) for a current list of recognized third-party certification bodies.

level has three conformance thresholds within the standard. Products can be awarded a level 1, level 2 or level 3 certification mark based on the combined score achieved in the sustainability evaluation. level 3 is the highest award a product can achieve. These thresholds are analogous to the silver, gold and platinum rankings within the LEED rating system, but they provide the flexibility to add new thresholds to the program in the future as the industry evolves to become even more environmentally and socially responsible.

In the level certification process, a product, as well as the organization and facilities that produced it, are scored according to sustainability criteria in the four areas of Materials, Energy and Atmosphere, Human and Ecosystem Health, and Social Responsibility. In order to be level certified, products must meet certain minimum requirements in each area, and then must earn additional optional credits in order to achieve higher levels of conformance. Meeting the level thresholds is a lot harder than it sounds. It requires months, if not years, of work by manufacturers to measure their manufacturing process inputs and outputs, incorporate new material formulations, create design protocols, and formalize corporate actions around social responsibility. The level conformance mark is an easily identifiable but hard-earned symbol of a company’s commitment to sustainability. 

“For the past three years we have been following the ANSI process, working with stakeholders and experts from inside and outside the industry to create a standard that can be used by all furniture producers,” said Tom Reardon, BIFMA Executive Director. “We also understand the importance of an independent evaluation and conformance verification process. We have to give our customers a simple, comprehensive and verifiable way to understand how products contribute to green buildings and sustainability as a whole,” he added.

In a world of information overload and a rising tide of environmental claims, level is important because it provides a single, fully transparent way of understanding and communicating what a sustainable furniture product is. The standard provides a common, but challenging set of criteria for furniture producers and their supply chain to evaluate the sustainable aspects of products. And level ensures that an independent third party has conducted the conformance assessment.

For more information, visit www.levelcertified.org

ABOUT BIFMA

Established in 1973, BIFMA’s mission is to lead, advocate, inform and develop standards for the North American office and institutional furniture industry. As a not-for-profit organization BIFMA providesan effective forum for members to cooperate and collaborate on appropriate industry issues.