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Herman Miller's Aeron Chair Earns MBDC Environmental Certification

Mairi Beautyman at Interior Design reports that the Aeron chair now has a PVC-free, polyurethane arm pad.

Link: Herman Miller's Aeron Chair Earns Environmental Certification - 2/17/2009 - Interior Design.

A Herman Miller classic has another green certification under its belt. McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC) has awarded the Aeron chair Cradle to Cradle Silver Certification for its sustainable design. The environmental certification ensures the furniture manufacturer is dedicated to material chemistry and safety, product disassembly and recyclability of materials, and maximizing use of materials with recycled content during production.

To meet the criteria, Herman Miller closely examined each material used in the chair, which already boasts Greenguard certification and incorporates several green design features: It's 94 percent recyclable, comprised of up to 64-percent recycled materials, and assembled with 100 percent renewable energy. More than 60 percent recycled content is used in the seat frame and the back is recycled two-liter plastic bottles.

By 2010, Herman Miller plans to achieve 50 percent of sales from products that meet the environmental criteria laid out in the DfE protocol. In 2020, the company is committed to raise that to 100 percent of product sales.

Cradle to Cradle Principals Going Global

Interior Design reports that three major players in the design industry have teamed up to produce an international sustainable material and product platform that is intended to help companies create more innovative products while increasing profitability.

Link: Cradle to Cradle Principals Going Global - 9/20/2007 - Interior Design

The platform, based on McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry’s (MBDC) Cradle to Cradle principals, is strategic collaboration between MBDC, material database Material ConneXion, and the Environmental Protection Encouragement Agency (EPEA--founded by Dr. Michael Braungart.

The Cradle to Cradle platform will supply four main services, defined as: Workshops; Materials Assessment, Process Evaluation, and Certification; and Material/Product Development Project.

The platform is slated to launch in January 2008. In New York, Milan, Cologne, and Bangkok, Material ConneXion’s libraries will debut Cradle to Cradle Assessed and Certified materials, and, in collaboration with MBDC and EPEA, Cradle to Cradle Certification and Cradle to Cradle product development.


MBDC co-founder William McDonough explains, "Material ConneXion’s unparalleled material expertise, commitment to sustainability, and global reach make them the perfect partner for this collaboration."

The Cradle to Cradle platform will supply four main services, defined as: Workshops; Materials Assessment, Process Evaluation, and Certification; and Material/Product Development Project.

The platform is slated to launch in January 2008. In New York, Milan, Cologne, and Bangkok, Material ConneXion’s libraries will debut Cradle to Cradle Assessed and Certified materials, and, in collaboration with MBDC and EPEA, Cradle to Cradle Certification and Cradle to Cradle product development.

Herman Miller Releases First Sustainability Report

GreenBiz News highlights Herman Miller's progress in green design. Excerpts below.

Link: GreenBiz News | Herman Miller Launches First Sustainability Report

Herman Miller today issued its first corporate sustainability report tracking the company's progress toward meeting key economic, social, and environmental objectives. The company has a long history of environmental action, emphasizing design for the environment, producing cradle-to-cradle products and serving as a founding member of the U.S. Green Building Council.

The report, titled "The Journey Toward Sustainability," is based on the company's 2006 fiscal year and focuses primarily on its North American operations. The company plans to release information on international operations in future reports.

Among the highlights of the report:

Economic Sustainability

• North American sales for fiscal 2006 rose 14.6 percent over the previous year.
• International sales grew 23 percent over the previous year.
• New, earth-friendly product lines, including My Studio Environments and Vivo Interiors, were launched.

Social Responsibility

• Employees logged more than 33,000 volunteer hours to community-based, charitable causes.
• More than 10 percent of Herman Miller's workforce participates in formal joint management-worker health and safety committees.
• Lauded by DiversityInc magazine as one of country's top 10 companies for supplier diversity program.

Environmental Stewardship

• Waste reduction programs were recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
• More than 27.5 percent of energy needs were met by renewable sources.
• All new products were evaluated according to the company's Design for the Environment protocol, which monitors material chemistry and safety of inputs, disassembly, and recyclability.

The full report is available at http://hermanmiller.com/environment

Green Buildings

BusinessWeek says "Green building technology has reached a tipping point that makes it more feasible — and elegant — choice for new construction."

Link: Green Wonders of the World

View the Slide Show

Ten years ago, large-scale green building was still a pipe dream. Most of the designs were the architectural versions of horsehair shirts, neither very comfortable nor very pretty. Using less energy inherently meant making do with less—less heating, less cooling, less of the symbolism and grandeur that define great architecture.

Yet by the turn of the millennium green had become glamorous, and today it's even economical. The cycle of innovation for sustainable building technologies is now staggeringly short, given how long it takes to complete a building. In short, we are close to the tipping point at which green design becomes the default option for smart building.

HEARST TOWER.  At least that's what the Hearst Corporation found when it hired Norman Foster to design its new headquarters, which opened this spring in midtown Manhattan. "We wanted the best building we could possibly build, so we explored every bit of technology available, and that meant green technology," explains Brian Schwagerl, director of real estate and facilities planning. And Hearst wasn't alone. Broad demand for sustainable technologies has driven prices down and increased options. "The market came to a point where we could buy the materials at a cost that wasn't a huge uptick," says Schwagerl.

MOMENTUM BUILDS.  Quietly competing with LEED is the Cradle-to-Cradle protocol, developed by architect William McDonough and chemist Michael Braungart. C2C considers the entire life cycle of a product, from manufacture to recycling; or, even better, "up-cycling." The first C2C home, a 1,623-square-foot, two-bedroom house in Roanoke, Va., will be completed next month.

And green even has a new (unofficial) spokesperson in Brad Pitt. This week the architecture-loving actor trumpeted the benefits of green building at a design competition for a low-energy apartment complex in New Orleans.

All this points to the ever increasing momentum of green design. The Green Wonders of the World feature that follows takes stock of the monuments completed so far. It celebrates the combination of high life and low energy by seeking out the buildings that both minimize their energy use and pack a symbolic punch. Think of the monuments that follow as symbols of possibility, often with an influence that belies their size.