KNOWLEDGE » GREENGUARD
PAOLI’S GREENGUARD CERTIFIED SEATING CONTRIBUTES TO HEALTHIER INDOOR ENVIRONMENTS
Healthcare facilities and design professionals have another reason to be confident when choosing Paoli Healthcare seating for projects. All chairs within the debut collection of the Paoli Healthcare portfolio of seating and casegoods for patient rooms and waiting areas are now GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certified® by GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI). This voluntary certification verifies that Paoli Healthcare seating has low chemical and particle emissions.
“Using GREENGUARD Certified products can help reduce indoor air pollution,” says Carl Smith, CEO of GEI. “Healthcare facilities and design professionals can use Paoli Healthcare’s certified seating to create healthier interior environments.”
The four GREENGUARD Certified seating groups include Huntington, Viejo, Marisol, and Cantera, which are defined by contemporary, curved-arm, transitional, and traditional styling. Each group includes patient and visitor seating, award-winning gliders, recliners, and bariatric chairs.
“Paoli is very pleased to have been awarded GREENGUARD Certification for these new seating groups,” says Kent Robbins, Vice President, Marketing, Paoli. “Now, along with having more choices, quality solutions that address real-world needs, and one-source shopping, healthcare facilities and design professionals can choose Paoli for healthier furnishings.”
The GREENGUARD Certification Program is the only industry-independent certification program for low-emitting products. Overseen by GEI, certification is awarded to products that have undergone a rigorous testing and certification process. As an ANSI Authorized Standards Developer, GEI has established performance-based standards to define goods with low chemical and particle emissions for use indoors. GREENGUARD Certification complies with established indoor air quality standards such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) purchasing requirements, State of Washington’s stringent Indoor Air Quality program, and the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Sustainable Building Rating System.
“Achieving GREENGUARD Certification for our new seating groups is a reflection of Paoli’s long-standing commitment to the healthcare industry,” says Robbins. “This is a notable milestone in our company’s continuing progress in being a good steward of the environment.”
Paoli’s Environmental Commitment
Paoli Furniture has been in continuous operation for over 75 years and has benefited from each generation that has made this company their workplace. The meaning of family is entrenched in all of Paoli’s philosophies. As visitors on this planet for a short time, Paoli believes it has a responsibility to be a good steward of the earth. The company is committed to sound environmental policies that will help preserve the environment for generations to come.
Among Paoli’s environmental activities:
Recycling
Corrugated and paper recycling programs divert nearly 100 tons of material annually from landfills. In addition to recycling wood pallets, Paoli returns pallets to any supplier that will accept them, saving 75,000 pallets for re-use. Waste cardboard is recycled into packing material to protect Paoli furniture during shipment. Green lumber scrap generated from the company’s mill room operation is re-used as landscaping mulch. Steel banding from lumber delivered to the company’s machine room is cut and packed into drums for recycling. Aluminum cans are collected by employees, recycled, and the profits are donated to the Crusade for Children.
Air Quality
Paoli reduced VOC content and subsequent emissions from solvent-based finish material by nearly 30 tons between 1994-2000. Compliance with EPA’s National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants has resulted in a reduction of 128 tons of hazardous air pollutants from 1997 to 2000. The company’s state-of-the-art U.V. flat line finish system enables excess finish material to be reclaimed. Coating material is cured with UV lamps rather than conventional ovens, saving energy and natural resources.
Energy Recovery
Sawdust and scrap lumber from Paoli’s mill room operations are used at other facilities to generate energy. Representatives from the company’s Engineering, Production, Environmental, and Maintenance departments meet annually for Plant Energy Consumption Reviews. These reviews allow for continual, measured improvement in energy conservation.