Choosing an Office Chair: An Informed Decision for Comfort and Health
Recycled and Recyclable Content
Data on pre-consumer and post-consumer materials in products should be available from manufacturers. This will include the recyclable content of the product plus the recyclability of materials at its end-of-use. Aluminum is a favored choice of material because it can be infinitely recycled. Moreover, recyclers are paid a premium for aluminum scrap, which helps ensure that aluminum products will get recycled. Some chairs are made predominantly of 100 percent recycled aluminum which can be 100 percent recycled at end-of-use.
Low Emissions
Manufacturers are working toward the elimination of off-gassing adhesives and finishes. Two avenues of compliance are now available under LEED-CI Indoor Air Quality: Greenguard Certification and BIFMA M7.1-2005 and BIFMA X7.1-2005 Standards. In July 2006, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) approved the rigorous BIFMA Furniture Emissions Standards as an alternative (named Option C) for achieving LEED-CI EQ 4.5 credit for low-emitting systems furniture and seating products. Before that date, Greenguard Certification was required for Options A and B.
BIFMA explains that emission levels are measured by unpacking new furniture product(s) and placing the product into a clean test chamber under controlled conditions. After a period of time has passed, samples of air from the chamber are taken and analyzed to measure the concentration of emissions from the furniture. The chamber test results are then used to estimate the impact of furniture emissions on building indoor air quality using a modeled office environment.
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Maintenance and Upgrades
A significant factor of sustainability is long-life design and minimizing waste when chairs are upgraded or maintained. Adopting a modular approach, one manufacturer has designed cushions that can be replaced or restored by simply removing four screws. Color schemes can be changed with far less waste than if the entire chair has to be replaced. In addition to simplifying maintenance, modular components have the advantage of being swapped out as needed to extend the product's life.
Innovation and Design
This is one LEED category often neglected by designers, who are
concentrating on reducing energy and water usage. Task chairs, as part
of a comprehensive ergonomics program, which includes appropriate
tools and training for employees, can possibly help add a LEED point. The newly renovated U.S. Green Building Council LEED platinum
certified headquarters earned one such point by providing both ergonomic products and training to ensure that all employees are equipped with tools and knowledge they need to avoid injury.
Overall, chairs can help a project earn points toward LEED-CI Certification in the following areas:
Credit 4.1 (1 Point) - Recycled Content (10 percent)
Credit 4.2 (1 Point) - Recycled Content (20 percent)
Credit 4.5 (1 Point) - Low-emitting Materials (Greenguard Certified
and BIFMA M7.1-2005 and BIFMA X7.1-2005 Standards)
Credit 5.1 (1 Point) - Regionally manufactured within 500 miles
Credit 1.1 − 1.4 (1 to 4 Points) - Innovation and Design (part of a
comprehensive ergonomics program)
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