Grand Rapids, MI - The Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association (BIFMA) International has created a set of guidelines to serve as a roadmap for any office furniture manufacturer or supplier desiring to become a more sustainable company. The Sustainability Guidelines are intended to be used as an "add-on" to a company's existing environmental management system.

The long-term health of any company or industry is dependent upon renewable rather than exhaustible resources. The BIFMA Sustainability Guidelines are intended to assist in the implementation and continuation of sustainable business practices. To remain competitive in a global market, all businesses must concentrate on eliminating costs that do not translate directly into value for customers. Companies pursuing sustainability recognize nature as the ultimate low cost/high value producer and will design business processes to mimic natural, zero waste cycles.

The Guidelines are the work of many association volunteers and industry partners over several years of study. The document is intended to be updated periodically as new practices and processes are discovered. Copies of the BIFMA Sustainability Guidelines are available on the BIFMA International Website at:

http://www.bifma.org/documents/SusGdlines.pdf

BIFMA

BIFMA

BIFMA's level® is the multi-attribute, sustainability standard and third-party certification program for the furniture industry. It was created to deliver the most open and transparent means of evaluating and communicating the environmental and social impacts of furniture products in the built environment.

Taking into account a company's social actions, energy usage, material selection and human and ecosystem health impacts, level addresses how a product is sustainable from multiple perspectives.

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