Herman Miller Ethospace System 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
®
Ethospace
System
Design Story: A Proven Frame-and-Tile System
Since its introduction in 1985, the Ethospace system’s
durability and flexibility have ensured it remains the
leading frame-and-tile system. Ethospace continues to
evolve, its new components fitting comfortably alongside existing ones to expand its life and usefulness.
The first system to make natural light a given in its
design, Ethospace uses glass tiles, translucent materials
and lower-height walls to allow more sunlight into an
office environment, while reducing the need for artificial
lighting. Additionally, new configurations incorporating open returns and up-mounted storage reduce
the amount of materials used in and on Ethospace’s
frame walls.
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?
level® Certification
Ethospace system is certified level 1. The level
conformance mark ensures a comprehensive,
independent, and impartial assessment of the
environmental and social impacts of a product.
Material Content
Ethospace system components are constructed from
steel, wood, plastic, other materials, and textile.
STEEL 72%
WOOD 15%
PLASTIC 7%
HPL 3%
TEXTILE 2%
OTHER 1%
The Ethospace system is up to 78 percent recyclable
at the end of its useful life.
Ethospace is made of 53 percent recycled materials.
The recycled content breaks down to 32-percent postconsumer and 21-percent pre-consumer content.
PRE-CONSUMER
RECYCLED CONTENT 21%
POST-CONSUMER
RECYCLED CONTENT 32%
• Most laminate and veneer Ethospace
work surfaces may be ordered as FSC®
certified products.
® Y and Z and Ethospace are among the registered trademarks of Herman Miller, Inc.
® level is a trademark of BIFMA International.
z 1
Only the products that are identified as such on this document are FSC® certified.
® Sustainable Forest Initiative is a registered trademark of SFI Inc.
® GREENGUARD is a registered trademark of the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute.
© 2012 Herman Miller, Inc., Zeeland, Michigan
Y
Environmental Product Summary
Ethospace
®
System
• Steel components contain approximately 35 percent
recycled content and are 100 percent recyclable.
• Wall frames are finished with an autophoretic coating, which is free of volatile organic compounds
(VOCs).
• Tackboard substrates are derived from sustainably
harvested wood products certified in accordance
with the Sustainable Forestry Initiative®.
• 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.
• Formcoat® work surfaces are finished with a polyesterbased powder coating that seals the wood substrate
and reduces off-gassing.
• All veneers used are purchased from suppliers
practicing responsible forestry techniques.
• Textiles used in Herman Miller products can be
made from natural or synthetic fibers. Several textiles
are available with 100 percent recycled content.
• 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, molded pulp,
and expanded polystyrene foam. These materials
are part of a closed-loop recycling system.
– Approximately 60-80 percent of veneers are derived
–Responsibly harvested, rapidly renewable
– All veneers are adhered to the substrate with
– Whenever possible, shipments between
– On large North American orders, disposable
from domestically grown woods, notably cherry.
bamboo work surface veneer is also available.
water-based glues to minimize air emissions.
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.
Manufacturing Process
• Renewable energy and Emissions—The Ethospace
system is manufactured at Herman Miller’s
GreenHouse seating operations in West Michigan
using 100 percent renewable energy via renewable
energy credits and a power purchase agreement.
No air or water emissions are released in Aeron’s
production.
• The GreenHouse is also a LEED Pioneer building.
• ISO—The GreenHouse is within the scope of
Herman Miller’s ISO 14001 certified environmental
management system.
• Worker Health and Safety—Herman Miller strives to
meet or exceed OHSA standards. The GreenHouse
is within the scope of Herman Miller’s OHSAS 18001
certified safety management system.
Product Performance
• Designed for minimal material use, reduced energy
requirements, easy reconfiguration, and durability.
• Soiled or damaged panel tiles are easily replaced.
• Backed by Herman Miller’s 12-year, 24/7 warranty.
Indoor Air Quality
The Ethospace system (excluding wood panels) 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
Ethospace may contribute to LEED credits due to its
durability, pre-consumer and post-consumer recycled
content, and GREENGUARD certification. Depending
on location, Ethospace also may qualify to contribute
to a LEED Regional Materials credit. Please refer to
® Y and Z and Ethospace are among the registered trademarks of Herman Miller, Inc.
® level is a trademark of BIFMA International.
z 2
Only the products that are identified as such on this document are FSC® certified.
® Sustainable Forest Initiative is a registered trademark of SFI Inc.
® GREENGUARD is a registered trademark of the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute.
© 2012 Herman Miller, Inc., Zeeland, Michigan
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