BIFMA Launches Green Furniture Certification

A new green standard modeled on the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED program is underway for the furnishings market. Designed to be an American National Standards Institute standard, the BIFMA E3-2018 Business and Institutional Furniture Sustainability Standard is conceived by the Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association (BIFMA) International and NSF International (NSF). The two organizations are now seeking consensus vote and public comment on the standard.

Development took over two years and included participation from academics, the A & D community, end users, regulatory agencies, federal and state government, certification bodies, non-governmental organizations, manufacturers, and suppliers.

Furnishings will be certified based on a holistic approach: After certain criteria is met, furnishings will be evaluated for materials, natural resource utilization, energy, renewable energy, greenhouse gas impacts, human and eco-system health, material toxicity, and social responsibility.

“By employing this open and balanced consensus process, we’ve ensured that a broad range of perspectives have been considered in this standard,” says Thomas Reardon, BIFMA’s executive director.

Bifma Standard is Watered Down. Apparently, there is not a lot of room here to post. Definitions of Recycled, Recyclable, are not compliant with FTC – Even LEED CI. If anyone wants a fuller idea of how much contribution to Greenwashing this standard will create, give me a call – 407-230-4196 Huston – WE HAVE A PROBLEM

BIFMA Standard is NOT in concert with the Federal Trade Commission Guidelines. It proposes new definitions that are contrary to The FTC. Marketing products according to the BIFMA standard, could mean that a manufacture””s claims are deceptive. It is quite clear that this “standard” is self serving to the members. A Classic abuse of 2nd party standards. These are representative of only some of the problems in this document. Specific Comments 3.3 Biodegradable – Your definition does not appear to be in harmony with the FTC, and Presidential Executive Orders . Under you definition, anyone can define what is a “natural condition” allowing the person making the statement wide latitude. § 260.7 Environmental marketing claims – ( Federal Trade Commission) • It is deceptive to misrepresent, directly or by implication, that a product or package is degradable, biodegradable or photodegradable. • The claim should be substantiated by competent and reliable scientific evidence that the entire product or package will completely break down and return to nature, i.e., decompose into elements found in nature within a reasonably short period of time after customary disposal. • Claims of degradability, biodegradability or photo degradability should be qualified to the extent necessary to avoid consumer deception about: (1) the product or package””s ability to degrade in the environment where it is customarily disposedTaken from www.interiordesign.net