Herman Miller Eames Aluminum Group Chairs 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

®

Eames

Aluminum Group Chairs

Design Story: Timeless Collector’s Classics

This is furniture that came in from the cold.
Charles Eames’ inspiration for the design resulted
from conversations he had with Alexander Girard
about the lack of high-quality outdoor furniture available
in the 1950s. Eames produced the first chairs and
ottomans as a special project for the Irwin Miller House in
Columbus, Indiana. Eero Saarinen designed the house
and Girard the interior. When Herman Miller began
marketing aluminum group furniture in 1958, it promoted
it as suitable for both outdoor and indoor use.

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.

Our DfE 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?

Global GreenTag

Eames Aluminum Group chairs are Global GreenTag
GreenRate Level A certified. Global GreenTag
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
(ACCC) approved National Certification Mark, an ISO
compliant ecolabel and Green Building Councils of

CertTM

GreenRate Certified

CertTM

CertTM

is an

Australia and New Zealand recognized third party
certifier. GreenTag GreenRate certification enables
products to be allocated Level A, B or C in the Green
Building Council of Australia (GBCA) and New Zealand
GBC’s Green StarTM tools and certify both VOC and
formaldehyde (composite wood) credits.

Material Content

Components for the Eames Aluminum Group chairs
are constructed from aluminum, steel, and other
materials.

ALUMINUM 50%

STEEL 33%

FABRIC 10%

OTHER 7%

Eames Aluminum Group chairs are up to 95 percent
recyclable at the end of their useful life.

Eames Aluminum Group chairs are comprised of up to
60-percent recycled materials. This figure breaks down
to 32-percent post-consumer recycled content and
28-percent pre-consumer recycled content.

POST-CONSUMER
RECYCLED CONTENT 32%

PRE-CONSUMER
RECYCLED CONTENT 28%

® Y and Z and Eames are among the registered trademarks of Herman Miller, Inc.
Global GreenTag

z 1

Certification Mark.
® GREENGUARD is a registered trademark of the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute.
© 2012 Herman Miller, Inc., Zeeland, Michigan

CertTM

is an Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) approved National

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Environmental Product Summary

Eames

®

Aluminum Group Chairs

• Die-cast aluminum components are typically made
from more than 95-percent recycled material and
are 100 percent recyclable.

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

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

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

• Textiles used in Herman Miller products can be made
from natural or synthetic fibers. Several textiles are
available with 100-percent recycled content.

• Foam and textile materials are part of an open-loop
system and can be recycled into everything from
automotive components to carpet padding at the
end of their current life.

• Returnable Packaging—Packaging materials include
corrugated cardboard and a polyethylene plastic bag.
These materials are part of a closed-loop recycling
system, meaning they can be recycled repeatedly.

– Whenever possible, shipments between

– On large North American orders, disposable

Herman Miller and its suppliers include the
use of pallets and other returnable packaging to
minimize waste.

packaging can be replaced with reusable
shipping blankets.

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

Eames Aluminum Group chairs may contribute to
LEED credits due to its returnable/reusable packaging,
durability, pre-consumer recycled content, and post­consumer content. Depending on location, the chairs
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

• Worker Health and Safety—Herman Miller strives to
meet or exceed OSHA standards.

Product Performance

• Easy assembly for cost-efficiency and quick parts
replacement.

• Easy disassembly for recyclability.

• Designed for durability, an important environmental
criterion.

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

Indoor Air Quality

Eames Aluminum Group chairs are 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

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

Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims.

® Y and Z and Eames are among the registered trademarks of Herman Miller, Inc.
Global GreenTag

z 2

Certification Mark.
® GREENGUARD is a registered trademark of the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute.
© 2012 Herman Miller, Inc., Zeeland, Michigan

CertTM

is an Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) approved National