Life cycle thinking

By looking at every stage of a product life cycle, we avoid the transfer of pollution from one stage to another or even from one country to another. 

With the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) we quantify energy and resource inputs and outputs at all stages of a product’s lifecycle and then determine and weigh the associated impacts to set the stage for improvements. This methodology, based on the ISO 14044 aims to establish a basis for making the right choices during the development process, thereby producing cleaner products.
 
Environmental parameters considered throughout the product life cycle are:
- Global warming
- Acidification
- Eutrophication
- Photochemical smog
- Abiotic resource depletion
- Waste and Toxic substances

Safe materials

We look in-depth at the chemistry of materials and select those that are safe, healthy, and ecologically sound throughout their life cycle.
 
We use a material assessment protocol which covers 19 criteria assessing the risk of toxic materials on human health (carcinogenicity, disruption of endocrine system etc.) and environmental impact (toxicity on fish and algae, impact on air quality, ozone depletion potential etc.).
 
Together with our partner Mc Donough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC), we:
- Analyse the chemicals in the material we use, till the molecular level
- Incorporate human health, environmental impact, and overall lifecycle characteristics of the inputs and of the finished material.

Transparency

Environmental product declaration (EPD) & product environmental profile (PEP)

We provide an EPD, a 4-page document based on Life Cycle Assessment, with our major products, and a PEP, a 2-page document with our current and small volume products.

The purpose of EPD and PEP is to communicate clear and transparent information about a product’s impacts on the environment at all stages of its life cycle. They contain information about the list of materials, materials' origin and certifications, percentage of recycled content, plants' certifications and manufacturing processes, packaging and products' recyclability. 

Labels

NF Environnement

Many Steelcaseproducts also comply with the NF Environnement.This Frenchmark is intended to certify that the products:
• have a lesser negative impact on the environment
• offer suitable fitness for use compared with other similar products available on the market.

Blauer Engel

Some of our products comply with the German environmental certification "Blauer Engel". The "Blauer Engel" promotes the concerns of both environmental protection and consumer protection.

Commitment to continuous improvement

We believe that credible and measurable methodologies are the starting point for the continuous improvement of our products. Instead of sitting back and admiring what our environmental efforts have achieved so far, we are constantly pushing the boundaries, in a never-ending process of improvement.

From September 2007 the best seller Universal Storage benefits from several improvements from a design and robustness point of view, but also in term of sustainability. The new version has 70% less impact on global warming. Tambour doors are in PP, which has 70% less impact on CO2 emissions than the more commonly-used PVC tambours.

Learn more about Universal Storage New Generation's environmental performance.

Environmental partners
 
Environmental organisations
- The Environment and Energy Management Agency – France (ADEME)
- The Technical Industrial Centre for wood and furniture companies – France (CTBA)
 
Partners in the LCA and EPD
- The Institute for Product Development - Denmark (IPU)
- The Institute for Engineering Design - Austria (TUW)
- The Institute of Chambéry - France (ENSAM)
 
Partners in the materials analysis:
McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry – USA (MBDC)
Environmental protection and encouragement agency - Germany (EPEA)