There are many environmental certifications available to companies today, and it is confusing.

First of all, I’d like to talk about the Sustainable Furnishings Council.  I refer to them as the SFC.  They were started in 2006 by leading companies and individuals in the furniture industry. Their board members includes some of the leaders of the Rainforest Alliance and  the World Wild Life Fund.  They came together specifically to address problems in the home furnishings industry.

Their goal is to help get manufacturers, wholesalers and  retail stores on a path towards sustainability.  Their aim is to simplify the process and act as conduit of information.  Also, for those of us interested in growing our businesses, they now are not only a group, but a source of trust to the industry.  Their members can display the SFC logo on all advertisements and promotional materials.

A few weeks ago one of the SFC members did an experiment, in which the same card had 2 sides.  The only difference between the two sides of the card was that the member had an SFC logo on one side.  The result? The cards with the SFC logo needed to be replenished every day, while the ones without the logo did not, the whole show.

The SFC is giving seminars at High Point and Las Vegas Market .  This past February, they had record turnout to their programs, which are targeted towards teaching Retail stores how to become more sustainable and  how to market green products.  They also offer teaching seminars to members and suppliers on how to market their products.  Actually, if any companies are interested in becoming members, or helping sponsor them to come to the CIFF in the fall, please talk to me.  Jeff was very interested in coming here and  not only giving a presentation, but also helping train sales and working with sustainable manufacturers in Asia.

Before the SFC there was not a source in Home Furnishings where people could get guidelines and answers to what was really Eco Friendly.  Now they’ve done a lot to help the industry avoid green washing and are the leading resource for sustainable furnishings in the States.

Their members include the Las Vegas World Market, Basset Mirror, Hickory Springs, Palecek, Room and Board, Stanley Furniture and over 170 more.

There are 4 levels of certification as the SFC.  Standard, Silver, Gold and Platinum.  You can think of the Standard level as the 1st step.  When a company joins they make a commitment to take a number of steps towards sustainability.  Each year they review with the SFC their progress and work on the next year’s goals.  In order to meet the higher requirement of the SFC, they need to meet much more specific goals, such as using a certain percentage of Renewable Energy and Environmentally Safe Materials.  The outstanding companies who have reached Gold and Platinum levels of sustainability can use the SFC logo on their products at retail.

It seems to be a trend in Sustainability to have levels in the certification system.  I personally think that this is necessary and good.  The fact that companies are taking a step forward should be encouraged by both buyers and consumers.  And, as we discussed earlier, while some materials may not be perfect, the SFC has made a bold statement by not allowing members to put their logo on their products unless they are Gold or Platinum levels of sustainability.

I have already mentioned the Forest Stewardship Council for being one of the best wood certification companies in the World.  Their mission to protect forest, biodiversity and  local workers for future generations not only makes their buyers feel good about what they are doing, but also is one of the most recognizable logos for environmentally safe products in the market.  The FSC logo is allowed to be put on products manufactured using FSC certified woods and  a supplier who has passed an FSC chain of custody audit.  The chain of custody audit not only ensures that the manufacturer is capable ok ensuring that only the right woods were used in the individual product, but also ensures that the manufacturer is treating their employees safely and fairly in accordance with local laws.

I really like the first two system and  their approach, I prefer the SFC because of its whole business model approach, but FSC is a great certification company and is recognized by almost all major environmental organizations.  In reality the FSC is also the more cost effective way to get a logo to get onto your products.

There is one more important category of certification company.  Rather than certifying a company for doing its best, they will certify an individual product or group of products.

One of the most popular certifications is Cradle to Cradle.  They have been a leader in the public eye for a long time.  Their process is to work with a manufacturer and make sure all the components of the product are either recyclable or biodegradable and  safe for the environment. 

When a product is submitted for testing, Cradle to Cradle will test all the materials in the product including paints.  Thus, the more materials in a product the more expensive the test, especially for plastics and finishes.  What I learned from Cradle to Cradle was that if you use the same materials in a product line, like a room set with the same woods, finishes and materials, they will allow you to submit multiple products for certification under the same testing results to save some money.  

Once your products are certified, you can use the Cradle to Cradle logo on your products and  they can be used by companies building with LEED Standards and the cost of the products can be added towards the 2.5% to get a design credit.  Several large office furniture companies, such as Herman Miller and Steel Case are using Cradle to Cradle to develop and sell sustainable products.  I think it really helps for office construction.  Another area of interest would be contract furniture, the hotels building to LEED standards will want certified products.  For Kids furniture, I think there is a real marketing opportunity.  Parents are very picky about what they give to their kids, so spending the time and money on a Cradle to Cradle kids furniture range may be worth the effort and cost.

An important thing to note with cradle to cradle is they are looking mostly at the materials used and its ability to be recycled or biodegrade.  If you are already using FSC woods, then you may be able to get a higher rating from them.  Also, Cradle to Cradle has levels of certification.  Their Gold level not only certifies the product, but also means the product has very high level of renewability and the company that makes the product is also doing a great job on pollution control and worker safety.

Following the same train of thought as Cradle to Cradle, is SMART certification.  They are a newer company, who follows a similar process to cradle to cradle, except they do less material testing.  They are more focused on the products lifecycle and making sure the company is also being sustainable.  Their process is again to visit the company, but after that, they do not actually test an individual product.  They will consult with company to ensure that all the materials used are as green as possible and  depending on the company and the materials, they can again give out various levels of SMART certification.  Also, smart certification has been praised over Cradle to Cradle, since their whole framework is based on open knowledge.  Smart Certification is again recognized by LEED standards in green building.

Other product certification systems you may have heard about are…

SCS:  Scientific Certification Systems, is one of the larger product certifications company.  They offer several different types of certification for products and supplier certification.  Product certifications are available for Indoor Air Quality and SCS Sustainable Choice.  They also offer FSC Chain of Custody certification for manufacturers who want to use the FSC logo on their products.

Green Seal:  We featured their seal earlier and they have been one of the larger consumer product standards.  In home furnishings, they don’t offer many certification options, since they mostly focus on more industrial and cleaning products.

Energy Star:  A fantastic program put together by the US government to promote energy efficiency.  In home furnishings, the main application is in lighting.  Manufactures can get fixture and portable product lines approved by sending in items for testing.

GOTS:  The global organic textile standard

Blue Sign: Another textile standard that goes deeper into the chemical issues of textiles and how they are made.  It looks like they are more flexible with synthetic materials, but are working to ensure that the most friendly are chosen and bad materials and chemicals are avoided.

GreenGuard: For all types of products, mostly focused on Indoor Air Quality in our industry.

Carpet and Rug Institute - Green Label Plus - Indoor air quality certification for low emissions for carpeting, adhesives and foam

SFI, CSA - more forest certification programs

Asmindo - is an Indonesian company training locals how to maintain forests.  So far only 10-15% of Asmindo wood suppliers are also FSC approved, but at least they are making a push in the right direction.

LEED – you have heard this term mentioned a few times in the presentation, but what does it really mean.  LEED was started because buildings account for 71% of America's electricity use and 38% of all greenhouse-gas emissions, according to the Department of Energy.  LEED is a standard system set up by the US Green Building Council as an environmental certification who’s goal is to certify buildings that are at least 25% more efficient.  Builders earn points in different areas, such as meeting high insulation standards, using renewable energy and water use reduction. 

The most interesting part of LEED to home and office furnishings is points for buying eco friendly certified goods. If a builder uses Certified building materials and products for at a value of 2.5% of the total value of all building materials and products used in the project, they earn a design.  Buildings can also become LEED certified when they are being upgraded.  Recently, 22 state, 75 cities and 2 federal agencies required or encouraged projects to be built at LEED standards and in China there have been quite a few new projects being built to LEED standards.

If you have made it this far, and still want more information, Consumer Reports has created a GreenerChoices.org which has an Eco-Labels center