the nature of geiger: a history of furniture designed for a sustainable world

the nature of geiger: a history of furniture designed for a sustainable world

g e i g e r i n t e r n a t i o n a l a n d t h e e n v i r o n m e n t At Geiger, we have a clear vision of our place in the world of tomorrow. In it, the culture of disposability is unthinkable. Social, economic and environmental drivers affect decision making equally. And businesses demand environmentally sound products because they make good economic sense and good human sense. For our part, Geiger is building an infrastructure that enhances economic vitality and environmental health across all of our activities. f r o m left t o right Hand finishing in Geiger s Atlanta factory greenguard-certified Tablet casegoods Foray task chair: 49% recycled, 93% recyclable Wind farms help power Geiger facilities Sustainably harvested wood veneers

g e i g e r a n d t h e e n v i r o n m e n t l e e d t h e w a y Geiger was one of the world s first companies to develop water-based finishes, to reduce emissions of volatile organic compounds (vocs) in offices. Geiger furniture can contribute to leed credits for construction waste management, materials reuse, recycled content, regional materials, certified wood, lowemitting materials and innovation in design. Many products are certified by the independent greenguard Environmental Institute, and Geiger Atlanta has earned fsc Chain of Custody Certification, making it an fsc Supplier of casegoods with fsc-certified core materials and optional fsc-certified veneers. As part of Herman Miller, all Geiger operations are powered entirely by green elec trical energy, which is harnessed from sunlight, wind or water flow and placed into the electrical grid. Geiger Atlanta is an iso 14001-certified site.

a p e r f e c t v i s i o n f o r a c l e a n e n v i r o n m e n t Guided by the Perfect Vision initiative established by Herman Miller, Geiger has committed to a set of dramatic sustainability targets, all directed toward a single aim: zero environmental footprint by 2020. It s an aggressive goal, and every day we move closer to making it real. The Perfect Vision goals include: zero landfill, zero hazardous waste generation, zero air emissions, zero process water use, 100 percent green electrical energy use, company buildings constructed to minimum leed Silver, and 100 percent of sales from DfE-approved products. z e r o l a n d f i l l Geiger s Atlanta facility sends trash that cannot be recycled to a waste-to-energy facility, which converts the waste to steam energy. This energy helps power Redstone Arsenal, the home of nasa s George C. Marshall Space Flight Center. As a result, Geiger Atlanta sends zero manufacturing waste to landfills. a i r e m i s s i o n s Starting in 1988, Geiger participated in a voluntary initiative piloted by the Environmental Protection Agency (epa) to reduce volatile organic compound (voc) emissions. The goal was to reduce emissions by 50 percent by 1995; Geiger exceeded the goal, reducing emissions by 81 percent. Today, Geiger continues to reduce emissions, though the initiative officially has ended. 10 0 p e r c e n t g r e e n e l e c t r i c a l e n e r g y As part of Herman Miller, Geiger operations are powered entirely by green electrical energy. All energy used is harnessed from resources such as sunlight, wind or water flow and placed into the electrical grid. r e c y c l i n g Nearly 100 percent of hazardous waste is collected, processed and turned into supplemental fuel. Used stains and solvents are recycled or fuel-blended, resulting in almost no waste by-product. Wood waste is recycled for reuse; cardboard, metals, plastics and office paper are recycled as well. r e p u r p o s e Geiger participates in repurpose, a program developed by Herman Miller to reuse unwanted furniture and other office assets. The items go to deserving nonprofits, and the earth doesn t get waste that would otherwise clog landfills. m a n u f a c t u r i n g Geiger s Atlanta facility is an iso 14001-certified site. iso 14001 is a voluntary, internationally accepted standard for environmental management systems that ensures responsible environmental performance.

t a b l e t c a s e g o o d s greenguard-certified, fsc-certified core materials

u. s. g r e e n b u i l d i n g c o u n c i l : l e e d c e r t i f i c a t i o n s y s t e m Geiger furniture can contribute to leed credits for construction waste manage ment, materials reuse, recycled content, regional materials, certified wood, low- emitting materials and innovation in design, depending on the project. Note that no interior furnishings, individually or collectively, can guarantee a specific number of points for leed certification. Consult your account manager to determine how your Geiger furniture can contribute. l e f t Caucus plinth table and media wall Foray executive task chairs r i g h t Geiger Levels casegoods Geiger Sotto executive chairs

r e c y c l e d c o n t e n t : m a t e r i a l s Wood veneer itself is an efficient use of resources. Veneer is sliced from logs into leaves, which are then pressed onto a stable substrate. Using veneer in this way is not only an appropriate and respectful way of using wood, but the result is a much more stable surface that lasts. Geiger s particleboard and medium-density fiberboard meet the Composite Panel Association s Environmentally Preferable Product specification. The boards are made from 100-percent recycled or recovered fiber, mixed with resin to create a very stable substrate, and are fully compliant with ansi standards for product emissions. Geiger s board vendors also comply with California Air Resources Board (carb) regulations, which limit formaldehyde emissions in composite wood products. i n d o o r e n v i r o n m e n t a l q u a l i t y : g r e e n g u a r d a n d b i f m a Geiger alleviates the issue of air emissions due to vocs through several measures, including water-based finishes, adhesives and stains; robotic spray equipment; uv-cured, roll-coat technology; and reduction in the amount of solvents used for clean-ups. With the help of its suppliers, Geiger was one of the first companies in the world to develop and use water-based urethane coatings. In addition, Geiger employs an environmentally friendly finishing process (uv-cured roll-coating), which virtually eliminates vocs. As a result, Geiger manufactures many greenguard-certified products, including Geiger Levels casegoods; Tablet casegoods with the greenguard finish package; Caucus conference furniture with the greenguard finish and materials package; Lumen Table System, excluding laminate and with the greenguard package; all wood guest and stack seating; and all task seating, all at no additional cost. Geiger s greenguard-certified seating complies with ansi/bifma x7.1-2011, ansi/bifma m7.1-2011 and ansi/bifma e3-2011e Credit 7.6.1 standards. c e r t i f i e d w o o d : f o r e s t s t e w a r d s h i p c o u n c i l ( f s c ) Casegoods and conference furniture made at Geiger s Fulton (Atlanta) facility are manufactured using fsc-certified particleboard, medium-density fiberboard and drawer boxes, excluding only a few minor components, at no additional cost. Geiger International s fsc license number is fsc c002041. Optional fsc-certified veneer is available upon request, depending on market availability. Contact your Geiger account manager for more information. 2013 Geiger International, Inc. All rights reserved. Geiger is a registered trademark and the Geiger logo is a trademark of Geiger International, Inc. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are property of their respective companies.

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