Environment
Herman Miller’s Design Protocol
Herman Miller’s environmental advocacy is long-standing and comprehensive. Since the 1950s, we have been, in the words of company founder D.J. De Pree, "stewards of the environment."
Our commitment to corporate sustainability naturally includes minimising the environmental impact of each of our products. Our Design for Environment team (DfE) applies environmentally sensitive design standards to both new and existing Herman Miller products, utilising the Cradle-to-Cradle design protocol.
Cradle-to-Cradle goes beyond regulatory compliance to thoroughly evaluate new product designs in three key areas:
- Material Chemistry and Safety of Inputs - What chemicals are in the materials we specify, and are they the safest available?
- Disassembly - Can we take products apart at the end of their useful life, to recycle their materials?
- Recyclability - Do the materials contain recycled content, and more importantly, can the materials be recycled at the end of the product’s useful life?
Material content
Leaf's components are constructed principally from steel, aluminium, and plastic.
Leaf is up to 95 percent recyclable at the end of its useful life and is comprised of 37 percent recycled materials. This figure breaks down to 24 percent post-consumer and 13 percent pre-consumer recycled content.
- Steel components contain approximately 25 percent recycled content and are 100 percent recyclable.
- All die-cast aluminium components are made from 100 percent recycled material.
- Aluminium components can be segregated and returned to the recycling stream.
- Plastic components are identified with a recycling code whenever possible, to aid in returning these materials to the recycling stream.
- Returnable Packaging
-Leaf’s packaging materials include corrugated cardboard and a polyethylene plastic bag to protect it from soiling or dust. Each of these materials is part of a closed-loop recycling system, meaning they can be recycled repeatedly.
-Whenever possible, shipments between Herman Miller and its suppliers include the use of pallets and other returnable packaging to minimise waste.
Product performance
Leaf's environmental impact is perhaps most profound through its use. On average, Leaf's LEDs consume approximately eight to nine watts of power, carry a lifespan up to 100,000 hours, and cut energy use by 40 percent compared to compact fluorescent bulbs.
Leaf is designed and created to minimise material use and for reduced energy requirements.
Corporate environmental policy
For more information on Herman Miller’s Corporate Environmental Policy and other environmental efforts, visit www.hermanmiller.com/worldwide
