Ways to make a positive impact in your world.
Posted by Jessica, BiOH Polyols Marketing Manager on February 22, 2010
At the Experience Soy Style event at Room & Board last fall, we captured video clips from people of all ages talking about issues around sustainability. From recycling to conserving energy, kids were full of ideas to help the environment. We thought we’d share a short compilation from some of those video clips with you – Enjoy!
Posted by Jessica, BiOH Polyols Marketing Manager on November 24, 2009
Drumroll please….. the 2009 Sage Award Finalists have been announced! The 3 finalist companies are Century Furniture, Copeland Furniture, and La-Z-Boy. The Sage Award was created to seek out and recognize innovators with a commitment to sustainable practices, social equity, and profitable growth in the home furnishings and bedding industries. The idea for the Sage Award was hatched by the BiOH polyols team over two years ago, and we partnered with the American Home Furnishings Alliance (AHFA) to bring this award program to the industry in 2008. We are proud to continue to sponsor the Sage Award and recognize great companies from whom others can learn. Read more to learn about some of their great stories…
Century Furniture is a family-owned furniture manufacturer that has been in business for more than 60 years. The company has implemented a comprehensive environmental management system within each of its domestic manufacturing plants, and this has resulted in dramatic reductions in energy use, water consumption and waste disposal. Aggressive recycling and resource conservation have become part of the corporate culture as a result of this program. Century has also begun to incorporate sustainability into its product design.
In addition to manufacturing in the United States, Century also procures goods from around the world, both as component parts and as finished products. Among the accomplishments noted by the Sage Award judges were Century’s efforts to push sustainable practices throughout its global supply chain.
We caught up with Alex Shuford, Jr. from Century Furniture shortly after they were named a Sage Award Finalist and captured some of his thoughts on sustainability in their business. Check out the video….
Copeland Furniture has been commited to sustainable manufacturing practices long before eco-friendly became a trend in the residential furniture industry. The company holds a Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) chain of custody certificate and currently manufactures eight product groups that qualify for FSC on-product labeling. They are a founding members of the Sustainable Furnishings Council, and one of only eight companies worldwide that qualify for the Council’s silver exemplary status.
Their environmental initiatives touch every aspect of operations. Sustainably-grown raw materials come from within 100 to 500 miles of the plant. Ninety percent of the electricity used to power their manufacturing equipment comes from sources that are low emission. They are converting their heating plant from oil-fired hot water to wood-fired and using their own waste scrap as fuel. They are taking steps to reduce the use of non-recyclable materials in product packaging and are working with finish suppliers to formulate finishes that use water as the primary solvent. They’ve stopped printing their catalog and now post it entirely on the Internet. Despite all of their accomplishments, Copeland views sustainability as an ongoing process of improvement, rather than as a finite goal.
Gain a little more insight into Copeland Furniture from this short clip we captured of Ben Copeland shortly after they were announced as a Sage Award Finalist…
La-Z-Boy has adopted a strong commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainable business practices. Altogether, 11 domestic manufacturing facilities across the United States have implemented an environmental management system to both systematize and accelerate sustainable practices throughout the corporation.
La-Z-Boy’s sustainability initiatives are helping them accomplish significant improvements in energy and water conservation, as well as in waste reduction. In 2008, they used almost 27,000 tons of renewable fuels. They reduced water consumption by more than 6 million gallons, and they recycled or reused more than 50 million pounds of material that previously would have gone to a landfill. La-Z-Boy also has introduced moderately-priced, eco-friendly products (made with BiOH polyols!) under a brand name that millions of consumers recognize.
In addition, La-Z-Boy has a retail group of 68 company-owned stores that have also taken steps to minimize their environmental footprint by implementing energy and waste conservation measures. Across this retail network, the company is in the process of replacing 27,000 light bulbs with eco-friendly alternatives. The store merchandising team has started a “Go Green!” newsletter to encourage further conservation and recycling efforts. For more details on their environmental programs, check out their website.
We weren’t able to catch a video clip of La-Z-Boy after the Sage Award announcement, but I did have a chance to get a few more details from Rod Miller, Director of Environmental Affairs for La-Z-Boy this week. See a few of his responses to my questions below….
What have been some financial impacts of your sustainability efforts?
Our sustainability initiatives have helped us obtain significant improvements in energy, waste and water conservation including the following significant reductions (2008 compared to 2007):
• Reduced total energy consumption by 12% (electrical consumption was reduced by 9% and natural gas consumption by nearly 25%) at six upholstery facilities and 4, 12 and 18% at three case good facilities (also reduced natural gas consumption by 25%).
• Reduced water consumption at three upholstery facilities by 6.68 million gallons.
• Reduced the amount of waste sent to the landfill by an additional two million pounds (almost 15%) at six upholstery facilities. We even further reduced this amount by nearly 400,000 pounds per month in the first six months of 2009.
• Reduced the amount of solid waste going to the landfill by 47 % (139 tons), 63% (202 tons) and 38% (95 tons) at three different case good facilities.
• Reused or recycled more than fifty-million pounds of material.
We continue to utilize renewable wood fuels (26,800 tons in 2008) generated on-site for the production of steam used in our processes. Wood fuel, a renewable energy source via sustainably managed forests, helps reduce green house gas emissions and eliminate solid waste disposal. We also sell excess wood for further reuse by other industries.
What impact have your sustainability efforts had on your employees, your customers?
Besides the positive business and environmental impacts our sustainability initiatives have on our organization, we believe one of the most important outcomes are those that directly affect our employees and their communities. Some examples include:
• Employees have volunteered at the Ronald McDonald Houses across the country, from gathering donations to assisting with the day-to-day activities at the homes.
• An EFEC team visiting the local landfill and recycling center to more fully comprehend our waste management process
• Employees participate in local county selection committee for sustainability project grants
• An EFEC team member provided a presentation at the county Economic and Tourism Council regarding sustainability issues
• A group of employees made a float out of recyclable materials for the local city parade.
What are the benefits of your EcoComfort line?
The EcoComfort by La-Z-Boy line includes the use of soy-based foam in the cushions of several popular sofas, recliners and chairs. The soy material replaces a portion of the petroleum-based product used in manufacturing poly foam. This line also includes a selection of fabrics which have been tested and certified to be environmentally friendly by Oeko-Tex, the world’s definitive ecological certification process and come in a variety of colors and styles which we are proud to say are pleasing to the eye and the environment. Our eco-suede fabric utilizes the plastic of one recycled water bottle for each yard of fabric, thereby reducing waste and pollution. A recliner in the line also features arms made of renewable rubber wood. Many of the other wood materials and components we use are provided by suppliers that have implemented sustainable forest management practices or come from sustainable plantation grown rubber wood. Other wood and fiber based materials utilize recycled or recovered paper.
What advice would you give to other large companies wishing to become more focused on sustainability?
When you make the decision to focus on sustainability, realize that it is a journey. You will need to think broadly about timeframes, payoffs and successes. Start at the top with senior executives engaged in setting the vision and providing support for your initiatives. Use programs such as the AHFA’s EFEC and SBD initiatives to implement sustainability goals and give your program focus. You must also engage enthusiastic internal champions to help promote and implement each segment of your sustainability initiatives.
Ultimately, you must be committed to responsible stewardship of the environment by integrating environmentally sound and sustainable business practices into all of your daily business decisions.
Tune in next week as the winner of the 2009 Sage Award will be announced on December 2 at the AHFA Sustainability Summit in Greensboro, NC. Do you have any questions for the finalist companies?
Posted by Jessica, BiOH Polyols Marketing Manager on November 6, 2009
Then maybe the EarthCare Challenge is for you! It’s a unique contest that will share the challenges of six contestants aspiring to live more sustainable lifestyles. And the cool part is that the contest will happen entirely online….through Facebook, Twitter, and You Tube.
Contest entry is easy. Upload a photo or a video to Facebook or You Tube and share why you are in need of an eco-makeover as well as why you want to live a more sustainable lifestyle. Six regional finalists will be announced on December 1. Finalists will get expert advice from green living gurus and will be asked to share their progress through social media sites over the next six weeks. (How fun for all of us to watch!)
One grand prize winner will be selected based on which contestant has made the most dramatic eco changes in their life. The winner will win eco-friendly furnishings for their home – valued at $5000!!
Do you know someone who needs an eco-makeover and would enjoy FREE, eco-friendly furniture? Encourage them to enter today!
The EarthCare Challenge contest is sponsored by Hickory Springs - a foam manufacturer that uses our soy-based BiOH® Polyols as the renewable ingredient in their Preserve® Foam products. Hickory Springs offers several environmentally friendly products in addition to foam as part of their EarthCare line.
Posted by Jessica, BiOH Polyols Marketing Manager on October 8, 2009
The Minneapolis College of Art and Design students are putting final touches on the exhibits, the Room & Board team is preparing their store in Edina, MN, and many of us on the BiOH team are busy finalizing last minute details to make the Experience Soy Style: Be in the KnOH! event on Saturday from 1-3pm run smoothly. We are all so excited!
The students have designed several exhibits to take you on a “journey from soybean to sofa.” Through videos, banners, soybean plants, foam blocks, and scupltures, you can learn more about soy foam options and why they may be a better choice for your home. It will be engaging, fun, and inspiring!
There will also be several fun activities for kids of all ages – from digging in soybeans for prizes and playing with foam blocks to stepping into our “interview booth” to answer questions about helping the environment as well as older children getting “Press Badges” to act as Journalists in Training while capturing videos at the event. This experience will be family friendly!
We also have two special guests who will be on hand to chat about green living and green design. Micaela Preston, the author of Practically Green and blogger of the Mindful Momma, will be available during the event to answer questions about green living and share resources in her new book. Practically Green takes the guesswork out of reading labels and will show you how to make smart, healthy purchases for your family without spending hours researching.
Additionally, Cindy Ojczyk from Simply Green Design will be available to answer questions on green remodeling and green interior design. Enjoy connecting with these experts!
For those in the Minneapolis area, I hope to see you there! For those who cannot attend, stay tuned next week as we will post several photos and videos from the event here.
Posted by Jessica, BiOH Polyols Marketing Manager on September 1, 2009
It might if you’re shopping at LaDifférence in Richmond, VA during the month of September as they hold their Perfect Seat for Your Seat Sale! La Diff is a contemporary retailer that delivers great style along with a lot of enthusiasm and character. You get a taste of the La Diff shopping experience just by walking past their store windows for the latest buzz. Who wouldn’t want to walk inside to check out their offering?
La Diff Windows July 2009
La Diff Windows May 2009 La Diff Windows April 2009
La Diff Windows April 2009
La Diff is a single store location in the heart of Richmond offering three floors of delightful colors, shapes, and textures to explore. Though you may not be able to visit their store directly today, you can get to know La Diff through their blog, facebook, and twitter conversations. No doubt you will want to stop by next time you’re in Richmond to experience La Diff yourself.
Beyond the contemporary flare and charm, La Diff has also been a leader in the sustainable furnishing movement for some time. They are founding members of the Sustainable Furnishings Council and make environmental impacts a part of their buying process. The sustainability journey is one of asking questions and engaging in discovery around how products are made. From certified raw material sources (wood, fabrics, etc) to recycling practices, renewable foam ingredients, and transportation processes, La Diff explores and encourages sustainable options from their vendors where it makes good business sense.
They then use that information to educate their customers about the sustainable features of their products through a three leaf rating system. Education around sustainable issues is an important part of the La Diff merchandising strategy and key for connecting shoppers with the information they are seeking around more sustainable choices! See for yourself….
The Green Screen at La Diff Educates Shoppers
And if you need another reason to love La Diff (I doubt it!), note that they also carry upholstered furniture lines from stylish manufacturers like American Leather, McCreary Modern, and Younger that use soy-based foam with BiOH polyols. So maybe the perfect seat for your seat at La Diff IS made with soy!
Posted by Jessica, BiOH Polyols Marketing Manager on August 30, 2009
My family and I went to the Iowa State Fair last weekend, and I’ll admit that state fairs are not the first place you expect to see a high level of environmental consciousness. One of our first stops at the fair was the 4-H exhibit building (my old stomping grounds!) to check out some of the best projects from members across the state.
There definitely was a common theme across many of the exhibits that going green, saves green. From making your own household cleaners to installing low-flow showerheads, these kids are thinking about their future and their pocketbooks. Smart!
4-Hers say "Go Green and Save Green"
I enjoyed seeing the Aveda cap recycling program highlighted by one of the 4-H members as that’s one of the programs that our office GREEN Team implemented last year! One of the GREEN Team members, Karen Skewes, led these efforts by promoting the cap recycling through signs/e-mails and adding a collection box for caps on her desk. Employees save caps from milk jugs, peanut butter jars, yogurt lids, and more to drop off at Karen’s desk…and then she drops them off at Aveda salons once the box gets full. Pretty simple… but it adds up! I wonder how many caps Aveda recycled in total last year?!?
Aveda Cap Recycling Program
There were also some interesting exhibits highlighting the use of renewable materials like corn and soy in many products we use daily. See for yourself!
Maybe next year there will be a soy exhibit on products made with soy-based BiOH® polyols! I hope so! I know these were just a few exhibits at one state fair so I’m wondering…do you think kids are more aware of environmental issues today than they were a generation ago? Why or why not?
Posted by Jessica, BiOH Polyols Marketing Manager on August 18, 2009
While I spend a lot of time talking about ways to make products such as mattresses and furniture more eco-friendly, it is also important to consider what happens to your existing products when you purchase something new. I thought it would be interesting to share some information on mattress recycling for consideration when you make your next mattress purchase.
Let’s start with what’s happening in the industry. The International Sleep Products Association (ISPA) has a sustainability initiative that has outlined some basic information around more sustainable materials for mattresses and has compiled a list of mattress recycling centers across the U.S. and Canada. While the list is relatively short today, it continues to grow. Please note that many of these locations may not take mattresses directly from individual households, so call them directly to confirm where/how to drop off an old mattress.
A mattress recycling company in Minnesota, PPL, was recently featured in an article in the Star Tribune. They help break down mattresses so that components such as steel spring coils and polyurethane foam can be recycled. Research is being conducted to find new uses for other mattress components as well. The article cites that PPL works with both county and city recycling centers as well as receives used mattresses from retailer Room & Board. It’s great to know that these programs are happening in my backyard!
If there are no mattress recycling companies near you, there are also other options for your used mattresses. Many retailers offer services and programs to take your used mattresses after a new purchase. HOM Furniture in the midwest will take your old mattress when they deliver your new mattress; they then provide the mattresses to a non-profit - Bridging. Bridging provides household goods and furniture to families in need… giving a new family some much needed rest! You can find a list of other furniture banks near you if you would like to make a donation of any used products directly.
It’s all about the “Rs” – reduce, reuse, recycle…and my favorite, renewable! What resources have you found for recycling or donating household goods? I’d love to learn more!
Posted by Jessica, BiOH Polyols Marketing Manager on July 26, 2009
Welcome to the final day of our Soy Style: Did you KnOH? contest. To enter the contest, all you need to do is read the post below, leave a comment, and you’re entered to win $100!
Anyone who has visited a Cisco Brothers showroom knows that you don’t have to sacrifice style for sustainable furniture. From unique shapes, surprising textures, and bold colors, Cisco Brothers furniture is designed to inspire while blending with how people live. Hear from founder Cisco Pinedo about his design philosophy (and check out some fabulous blue chairs!)
Not only is Cisco Brothers furniture about great style, but it is also designed with sustainability in mind. They use Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wood in their upholstery frames and wood furniture. Cisco offers a variety of cushion options that incorporate natural latex, down, feathers, or soy-based foams. And they use water based glues. Environmental impacts are an integral part of their design process. Take a look at some of their great products.
Photo courtesy of Cisco Brothers
Photo courtesy of Cisco Brothers
Photo courtesy of Cisco Brothers
Photo courtesy of Cisco Brothers
Photo courtesy of Cisco Brothers
But they don’t stop at considering the environmental impacts of their products; they also have a significant focus on social responsibility. Cisco Brothers manufacturers their furniture in south central Los Angeles – providing jobs for local crafts people to learn new skills. They also support education and mentorship for Hispanic youth in southern California through an organization called meta – Making Education the Answer.
Cisco Brothers products are sold through several retail outlets. In fact, you can catch a glimpse of their retail showrooms through videos on their website. Or maybe you’ve seen their products featured in popular magazines. They are still a family run business as Cisco shares below –
I think Cisco Brothers upholstery comes with a great story…and even better style. What do you think?
Posted by Jessica, BiOH Polyols Marketing Manager on July 24, 2009
We are pleased to introduce the next manufacturer in our Soy Style: Did you KnOH? contest with trend leader and unique manufacturer - American Leather. (To enter the contest, all you need to do is read the daily post through July 26, leave a comment, and you’re entered to win $100 each day!)
Based out of Dallas, Texas, American Leather creates custom furniture to your specifications… in 30 days or less! The range of colors, textures, lines, and shapes in their product line seems unlimited – delightful to explore and inspires one to imagine possibilities for their home.
Photo courtesy of American Leather
They also use soy-based cushions made with BiOH® polyols across their collections. We had a fabulous time touring their showroom in High Point, NC in April to check out their latest style introductions and learn about some of their favorite collections. Our first stop in the American Leather showroom was an introduction to Rob Jones, who designed the Drake collection.
Designed to be inviting and luxurious, the Drake is available as a sectional, sofa, loveseat, chair, or ottoman. The optional nail-head trim, option for contrasting seat and back cushions, different finishes, and wide range of leather or Ultrasuede® fabric selections allow you to personalize each piece to your unique style. Get an intimate look at the Drake collection with an overview directly from the designer:
Next we explored a different look with the Malibu sectional which offers innovative back cushions that adjust from a low profile to a high back to meet different comfort needs. Dubbed “the ultimate party sofa”, the Malibu could be your path towards celebrity living. Take a look:
Don’t have room for a Malibu sectional or sofa? Maybe you’d enjoy adding a conversation starter like this unique Hugo chair to your living room. The armless swivel chair adds fun to a contemporary look… without sacrificing comfort. The Hugo chair was also featured in Metropolitan Home magazine in June as the magazine highlighted “The Year’s Hottest Hue: Yellow” with the Hugo in Duval Maize.
Photo courtesy of American Leather
And a visit to American Leather would not be complete without a look at the Comfort Sleeper – an original with their patented technology to offer both sit and sleep comfort without sacrificing style. The Comfort Sleeper was designed to offer more sleep space using less floor space. They are also the only sleep sofas available with a Tempur-Pedic® mattress. Take an up close look at a mattress in the Comfort Sleeper:
And best of all, you don’t have to compromise style for comfortable sleeping! The Comfort Sleeper is available in a variety of coverings – leather, fabric, Ultrasuede®, or microfiber. So you can sit in style by day…and sleep in comfort at night!
Photo courtesy of American Leather
I hope you’ve enjoyed this brief look at American Leather. There is so much more to explore in their collections from their website or through one of their retail partners near you!
From what you’ve seen so far, what are your thoughts about American Leather’s furniture? Any questions for them?
Posted by Jessica, BiOH Polyols Marketing Manager on July 22, 2009
Welcome to the Soy Style: Did you KnOH? contest where our featured manufacturer today is Harden. To enter the contest, all you need to do is read the daily post (now through July 26), leave a comment, and you’re entered to win $100 each day!
Harden Furniture’s story is filled with family tradition and a legacy of environmental responsibility. A family owned and operated company since 1844, Harden Furniture is known for their fine craftsmanship, quality, and classic style. Their story starts in the company owned 10,000 acres of timber in upstate New York; Harden owned forests are compliant with the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) standards. Beyond their forests, Harden Furniture also embraces environmental responsibility across their business and received industry recognition from the Sustainable Furnishings Council in 2008. Listen to CEO Greg Harden tell you a little bit more about their story….
You can even take a virtual tour of their factory in McConnellsville, NY if you’re interested to see how Harden Furniture is made.Now that you know what a fabulous story Harden Furniture has, let’s take a closer look at some of their pieces. Most of their collections are composed of fine wood furniture with many finishes and styles available.
Photo courtesy of Harden Furniture
Photo courtesy of Harden Furniture
Photo courtesy of Harden Furniture
Where Harden uses foam cushioning in their furniture, they use foams with soy-based BiOH polyols. Check out one of their more classic sofa styles featured at High Point market in April:
Or for those who prefer a more contemporary look, take a peek at this sofa…
Like what you’ve seen and heard? Maybe you’ll want to become a fan of Harden Furniture on Facebook! Do you have any questions for Greg about Harden Furniture?
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