5.1.11 | Muscatine, IA | A substantial quantity—more than 80%—of The HON Company’s portfolio of products has been awarded BIFMA level 2 certification. The level 1 is soon expected to be adopted as the environmental certification minimum standard for furniture by the General Services Administration (GSA), according to Jean Reynolds, The HON Company’s vice president of strategic development for government markets.

 “This certification, which was issued by Scientific Certification Systems, an independent third-party testing and review source, puts HON ahead of the curve, well above the minimum certification expected, and past much of our competition,” said Reynolds. “It also means we’re able to assure the prospects we meet with at GSA Expo that they can reliably specify and purchase highly sustainable office furniture,” she said. The HON Company is exhibiting at the show, Space #1029.

In addition to evaluating the sustainability of an individual product, the level 2 accreditation also assesses the supply chain, manufacturing site and corporation to ensure all stages of a company’s business practices uphold the rigorous criteria developed by BIFMA. The industry association established third party level certification in 2009 as part of its e3 Furniture Sustainability Standard, meant to provide direction to manufacturers in the areas of materials, energy and atmosphere, human and ecosystem health and corporate social responsibility. It was developed to deliver the most open and transparent means of evaluating and communicating the environmental and social impacts of furniture products in the built environment.

The categories in which HON products earned the level 2 certification were:  seating, laminate casegoods, steel desks, steel storage, and systems workstations.

“The HON Company is relentless in its commitment to reducing the environmental impact of its products while continuing to deliver the ultimate in performance, style and quality,” said Mark Roumfort, vice president of product development and management. “We’re proud to be able to add the level 2 mark to such a significant volume of our offering and bring it to those in the governmental sector as they embrace the value of this important sustainability accreditation.”

To learn more about The HON Company, visit www.HON.com.