Steelcase Inc., a leading manufacturer of office furniture, has received the sixth annual Evergreen award from the General Services Administration (GSA) National Furniture Center. The award recognizes a furniture manufacturer whose business practices most significantly protected the environment in the areas of waste prevention, recycling, affirmative procurement, environmental preferability, and model facility during the previous year.
Steelcase was selected as this year’s winner because of the companys extensive programs that build environmental considerations into each phase of the manufacturing processes. Currently, Steelcase has completed 50 percent of the process of converting its steel finishing systems to new, low-emission powder coating technology. As a result of this technology, the company has reduced the emissions of volatile organic compounds by more than 60 percent from its Grand Rapids and Kentwood, Michigan manufacturing facilities even as production levels at these facilities have increased by 31 percent. Completion of the conversion process is targeted for 2003.
