CEH-Healthier Furniture-Purchasing Guide
Providing a comprehensive guide for purchasing healthier furniture, this resource highlights products free from the 'Hazardous Handful' chemicals. It includes sortable and filterable listings of furniture and fabrics, detailing manufacturers, product types, and availability on NASPO contracts. Key chemicals of concern addressed include formaldehyde, flame retardants, and PVC. The guide aims to assist consumers in making informed choices for safer furniture options.
Content article
Dozens of furniture and fabric options are detailed in this guide, all compliant with restrictions for hazardous chemicals.
Healthier Furniture Purchasing Guide
The Center for Environmental Health (CEH) has created a comprehensive guide to assist furniture purchasers in identifying safer furniture and fabrics that do not contain key chemicals of concern, referred to as the "Hazardous Handful." These chemicals include formaldehyde and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs), antimicrobials, flame retardant chemicals, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and per- and poly-fluorinated chemicals used in stain, water, or oil resistant treatments.
All Furniture
The furniture section lists various products from manufacturers such as 9 to 5 Seating and Allermuir (The Senator Group). For instance, 9 to 5 Seating offers a range of seating options including the Acclaim Exec/Conference Chair, Agent Task, and Axis Exec/Conference Chair, all of which are marked as non-compliant with the specified chemical restrictions. Other models like the Brio Task and the Cayman Exec/Conference Chair also fall into this non-compliant category.
Allermuir provides a selection of desks and tables, including Axyl tables and Classic Tables, which are compliant only if specified with a #69 PVC Edgeband. The Conic tables and Jaks Tables share similar compliance conditions. Notably, the Octo table is compliant when equipped with wood legs, while the Famiglia Lounge Seating and Fifty Series are compliant under specific configurations.
In the seating category, Allermuir features various options including the Axyl Chairs, Grainger Collection, and Haven Lounge, all of which are non-compliant. However, the Lola seating option is compliant when specified with wood legs.
All Fabrics
The fabrics section includes a variety of healthier fabric options from manufacturers like ArcCom and Architex. ArcCom offers several upholstery non-woven fabrics such as Block Petal and Elementary, both of which are non-compliant. Other fabrics like Hopscotch and Hush are categorized as woven upholstery and are also non-compliant.
Architex presents a wide range of woven fabrics, including the 57 Chevron and 78 RPM, both of which do not meet compliance standards. Unique options such as the Aventura and Badlands fabrics are also listed as non-compliant. The collection continues with various other fabrics, including the Boudoir and Brick and Mortar, which are similarly marked as non-compliant.
This guide serves as a valuable resource for purchasers looking to avoid hazardous chemicals in their furniture and fabric selections, ensuring a healthier environment.