Chair sources develop recyclable products
By Gerri Hunt -- Furniture Today, December 16, 2007
Glenview, Ill. — "Going Green" is an emerging business trend as companies seek out more eco-friendly initiatives beyond paper and plastic recycling, energy efficiency and "green" building materials.
And now the office chair is going green.
High-end office furniture manufacturers like Herman Miller, Knoll and Steelcase have developed environmental goals and are now offering office chairs and furnishings that are 80% to 100% recyclable.
"Changing a chair is not like throwing out a paper cup," said Marc Levin, founder and CEO of retailer Home Office Solutions Group.
"Herman Miller and Steelcase have always been very cognizant of being 'green,'" said Levin. "They realized how many office chairs are sold in this country, and were aware that they wear out and get disposed of."
At the same time, many consumers are tired of buying a cheap, new $99 chair and having to replace it every year.
"Now they'd rather pay more for a good chair that will last from 12 to 20 years," said Levin. "A good chair is no longer a pampering product."
The eco-friendly chairs that Levin offers are made of mainly steel, plastic and aluminum with a minimal amount of textile and foam, and rate very high for recyclability.
For example, Herman Miller scrutinized its Mirra chair from top to bottom to assure that its material chemistry, recyclability, manufacturability, packaging and ease of disassembly are environmentally friendly. It is the first chair designed from the ground-up to meet Herman Miller's stringent Design for the Environment protocols, which focus on creating economic value while simultaneously valuing the environment.
Steelcase's Think chair is comprised of 99% recyclable content and is made of up to 41% recycled material. It was designed for easy disassembly and can be disassembled for recycling with common hand tools.
The Life chair by Knoll uses minimal materials in its construction, and employs clean manufacturing technology, such as integral coloring on plastic components and burnished aluminum that needs no coating. Its raw materials have a recycled content of 52% to 64%; 70% to 80% of the component parts are readily recyclable; and the chair is available with 100% recycled content fabric.
But Levin is taking his eco-friendly offerings in an entirely new direction next year by starting a chair recycling program.
He will start selling certified pre-owned Herman Miller Aeron chairs — the product that launched his office furniture career out of his chair massage business in the first place. Sold with a 12-year warranty, the first batch of Aeron chairs ever made is now coming out of that warranty period.
"People want to buy the chairs used, but they're hesitant to buy on eBay or from liquidators," said Levin, adding that while there are a lot of knockoffs in the marketplace, he sells only authentic pieces.
"We have a 29-point inspection, and will put on new casters and arm pads and whatever else needs replacing," he said. "It's the same way Lexus sells their pre-owned cars. It's something the market sees as taking the risk out of buying it."
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