Session Description

Healthy interiors can contribute to healthier workplaces and to reduced patient exposures. Reducing harmful chemicals in furnishings is an important part of a move to healthy interiors. Health care leaders are increasingly seeking products with a safer environmental profile to meet environmental and safety goals. And progressive business leaders are recognizing the broader benefits to their companies of reducing hazards through the life cycle of a product. To achieve these goals, health care organizations are increasing disclosure requirements for the chemical and material ingredients in the products they purchase and are favoring products that avoid chemicals of concern where available. Purchasers have relied upon a number of tools and materials standards to help guide their decisions, including the Health Product Declaration, LEED credits, the ANSI/BIFMA Furniture Sustainability Standard, and, more recently, the Healthy Hospitals Initiative Safer Chemicals Healthy Interiors Challenge – Healthy Interiors focus area. Transparency and disclosure requests have driven supplier education, a more informed marketplace, and safer materials and products. In this session, leading furniture manufacturers will discuss their experience with various tools and standards, and discuss the role of transparency and reformulation requirements and standards in driving changes in their supply chain.

Presenters

Tammy Ayers, CPT, Manager, Materials Chemistry Strategy & Practice | Mike Werner, PhD, Senior Sustainability Engineer, Haworth Inc.