47 more Young America products receive Greenguard certification

Youth bedroom products meet emissions standards

Thomas Russell -- Furniture Today, September 20, 2010

STANLEYTOWN, Va. — Youth bedroom resource Young America has announced that another 47 items in its line have received the Greenguard Children & Schools Certification.

The certification program was started by the Greenguard Environmental Institute, an independent, nonprofit group that specializes in improving indoor air quality. The Greenguard certification focuses largely on the indoor air quality of childrens' living areas, including the bedroom. The standards address chemical emissions of furniture and other consumer products.

Young America began to apply the Greenguard air quality standards to its cribs last year. Today 100% of the cribs are Greenguard certified.

The 47 new items in the Young America line that have been Greenguard certified include a number of beds, the company said. Today, about 75% of the youth bed line is certified.

"Since the majority of a child's first few years of life are spent sleeping, it only seemed natural that we begin the certification process with cribs and beds," said Ward O'Quinn, product manager for Young America, a division of Stanley Furniture.

"When it comes to indoor air quality, Greenguard is the authority in the infant and youth furniture industry. We are excited and proud to offer our retailers and consumers such a highly regarded third-party certification. And Young America's cribs and beds are only the beginning," said O'Quinn.

The company aims to certify 100% of the beds in the line and then will address other youth bedroom pieces such as dressers and nightstands.