Herman Miller 5000 User Manual

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Our sustainability goals by the year 2020:

• Zero carbon footprint

• Zero landfill

• Zero hazardous waste generation

• Zero air emissions (VOCs)

• Zero process water use

• 100 percent renewable electrical energy use via renewable
energy credits and a power purchase agreement

• Company buildings constructed to a minimum
LEED Silver certification

• 100 percent of sales from DfE approved products

Environmental Product Summary

5000 Series Desking

Design Story: Precision Modularity, Flexible
Possibilities

Herman Miller’s 5000 Series metal desking products
are designed to be durable, easy to work with, and
completely compatible. These desks, credenzas,
returns, bridges, peninsulas, and desk-mounted
flipper door units and screens can be mixed and
matched to fit the space and task.

Quality and durability assure 5000 Series components
a long and useful life; the predominance of steel and
wood across the product line make them largely
recyclable, as well.

Herman Miller’s Design Protocol

Our commitment to corporate sustainability naturally
includes minimizing 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.

The DfE Design Protocol goes beyond regulatory
compliance to thoroughly evaluate new product
designs in four 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?

• LCA—Have we optimized the product based on the
entire life cycle?

impartial assessment of the environmental and social
impacts of a product.

Material Content

The 5000 Series components are constructed from
steel, wood, aluminum, and other materials.

STEEL 72%

WOOD 18%

ALUMINUM 6%

OTHER 4%

The 5000 Series is 79 percent recyclable at the end of
its useful life.

The 5000 Series is comprised of 41-percent recycled
materials. This figure breaks down to 20-percent
pre-consumer and 21-percent post-consumer recycled
content.

POST-CONSUMER

RECYCLED CONTENT 21%

PRE-CONSUMER
RECYCLED CONTENT 20%

level® Certification

The 5000 Series is certified level 1. The level conformance
mark ensures a comprehensive, independent, and

z 1

• Most laminate and veneer 5000 Series
worksurfaces may be ordered as FSC®
certified products.

® Y and Z is among the registered trademarks of Herman Miller, Inc.
® level is a trademark of BIFMA International.
Only the products that are identified as such on this document are FSC® certified.
® GREENGUARD is a registered trademark of the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute.
© 2012 Herman Miller, Inc., Zeeland, Michigan

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Environmental Product Summary

5000 Series Desking

• Steel components contain approximately 35 percent
recycled content and are 100 percent recyclable.

• Aluminum components are 100 percent recyclable.

• Most metal components have a powder-coat paint
finish that emits negligible volatile organic compounds
(VOCs).

• Wood, while not technically recyclable, can be
cycled back to the natural environment, such as
through composting. The wood content in our work
surfaces and storage unit substrates is comprised
of 100-percent reclaimed wood, as certified by the
Composite Panel Associations EPP. This wood
content is made primarily of sawdust generated by
other wood process operations. Additionally, wood
waste from our operations can be burned in our
energy center, which generates steam that we use in
our operations facilities.

• All veneers used are purchased from suppliers
practicing responsible forestry techniques.

– Approximately 60-80 percent of veneers are derived

from domestically grown woods, notably cherry.

–Responsibly harvested, rapidly renewable

bamboo work surface veneer is also available.

– All veneers are adhered to the substrate with

water-based glues to minimize air emissions.

• Plastic components are identified with an ASTM
recycling code whenever possible, to aid in returning
these materials to the recycling stream.

• Returnable/Recyclable Packaging—Packaging
materials include corrugated cardboard and
honeycomb. These materials are part of a closed­loop 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
minimize waste.

Product Performance

• Designed for minimal material use, reduced energy
requirements, easy reconfiguration, and durability

• Backed by Herman Miller’s 12-year, 24/7 warranty.

Indoor Air Quality

The 5000 Series is GREENGUARD® certified as a
low-emitting product that meets current indoor air
quality standards.

Corporate Environmental Policy

For more information on Herman Miller’s Corporate
Environmental Policy and other environmental
efforts, visit the “Environmental Advocacy” section of
HermanMiller.com.

Supplier Support

At Herman Miller, we are committed to working closely
with our suppliers to reduce our collective impact on the
environment. We not only encourage our suppliers to
minimize their operations’ environmental impacts, but
require they assist us in decreasing our facilities’
negative environmental effects, as well.

LEED

The 5000 Series may contribute to LEED credits
due to its returnable/reusable packaging, durability,
pre-consumer recycled content, and post-consumer
content. Depending on location, the 5000 Series also
may contribute to a LEED Regional Materials credit.
Please refer to http://hermanmiller.com/ecoScore­card or contact your Herman Miller representative for
detailed LEED information.

It’s important to note that no interior furnishings,
individually or collectively, can guarantee a
specific number of points for LEED certification.

Manufacturing Process

• Renewable energy and Emissions—The 5000 Series
desking is manufactured in West Michigan at an ISO
14001-certified site using 100 percent renewable
energy via renewable energy credits and a power
purchase agreement.

• Worker Health and Safety—Herman Miller strives to
meet or exceed OSHA standards. The 5000 Series
desking is manufactured at an OHSAS 18001­certified site.

Herman Miller complies with the Federal Trade commission’s Part 260

Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims.

® Y and Z is among the registered trademarks of Herman Miller, Inc.
® level is a trademark of BIFMA International.

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Only the products that are identified as such on this document are FSC® certified.
® GREENGUARD is a registered trademark of the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute.
© 2012 Herman Miller, Inc., Zeeland, Michigan