Sustainability in Commercial Furniture & Design

Certifications That Matter

The commercial furniture industry has several meaningful certifications. Knowing which ones to look for — and what they actually measure — helps you make informed decisions and include the right language in your RFPs.

GREENGUARD Gold

GREENGUARD Gold certification (administered by UL) tests products for chemical emissions — specifically volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that affect indoor air quality. Products that carry this certification meet strict limits for formaldehyde, total VOCs, and individual chemicals.

This certification is especially important in healthcare, education, and any space where occupants have long exposure times. Most major commercial furniture manufacturers (Steelcase, Herman Miller, Haworth, Knoll) carry GREENGUARD Gold on the majority of their product lines.

BIFMA LEVEL

BIFMA LEVEL is a multi-attribute sustainability certification that evaluates products across four categories: materials, energy and atmosphere, human and ecosystem health, and social responsibility. Products are rated LEVEL 1, 2, or 3 — with LEVEL 3 being the most comprehensive.

Unlike GREENGUARD (which focuses solely on emissions), BIFMA LEVEL looks at the entire lifecycle — from raw material sourcing through manufacturing, use, and end-of-life. It's the most holistic sustainability certification in the furniture industry.

Cradle to Cradle

Cradle to Cradle (C2C) certification evaluates products on material health, material reutilization, renewable energy use, water stewardship, and social fairness. Products are rated Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum. Several Steelcase and Herman Miller products carry C2C certification.

Buying Refurbished as a Sustainability Strategy

One of the most impactful sustainability decisions a buyer can make is choosing refurbished or remanufactured furniture. Every reused workstation keeps approximately 300–500 pounds of material out of a landfill. Over a full-floor project, that adds up to tens of thousands of pounds of waste avoided.

Refurbished furniture also sidesteps the embodied carbon of new manufacturing — the energy and emissions associated with mining raw materials, manufacturing components, and shipping from factory to site. For organizations with carbon reduction targets, buying pre-owned is one of the most direct levers available.

Manufacturer Take-Back Programs

Major manufacturers are increasingly offering end-of-life programs for their products:

• Steelcase — Phase 2 remanufacturing program takes back used product and restores it for resale
• Herman Miller — Offers product take-back and participates in the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's circular economy initiatives
• Interface (flooring) — ReEntry program collects used carpet tile for recycling into new product
• Haworth — Publishes Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and offers design-for-disassembly on many product lines

Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs)

EPDs are independently verified documents that report the environmental impact of a product across its lifecycle — raw material extraction, manufacturing, transportation, use, and disposal. Think of them as a nutrition label for environmental impact.

EPDs are becoming increasingly important in LEED v4 and v4.1 projects, where they contribute to Material and Resource credits. When comparing products from different manufacturers, EPDs provide an apples-to-apples comparison of environmental performance.

Low-VOC Materials

Beyond GREENGUARD certification, specifying low-VOC materials throughout your project improves indoor air quality from day one:

• Paints and adhesives — Specify low-VOC or zero-VOC products for all finishes
• Fabrics — Choose textiles tested to GREENGUARD or Oeko-Tex standards
• Laminates and surfaces — Most commercial-grade laminates from brands like Formica and Wilsonart now meet low-emission standards
• Flooring — Carpet tile and LVT should carry FloorScore or GREENGUARD Gold certification