10 Companies Making Healthy Interior Products
Learn more about the Living Product Expo 2017, held on Sept 12 – 14 in Pittsburgh, and register today! Early bird ends August 1st.
A prominent feature of the Living Product Expo are the products themselves, made with innovative materials by companies who are pushing the limit on healthy products.
Photo: Interface
Interface
Product: Global Change Collection
By moving away from petroleum intensive carpet and radically changing their production process, Interface products embody a commitment to sustainability. Their newest Global Change Collection is an interpretation of biophilic design, with a range of colors, textures and formats in both small scale and bold, graphic aesthetics. Because there is complementarity between the patterns and hues of Global Change, product designer Kari Pei refers to the entire collection as a flexible system across various price points. All seven styles could be specified on a single project, combining to create zones and pathways with fluid transitions across the range. Global Change extends their sustainability mission by employing a solution dyed Universal™ nylon 6,6 yarn system that boasts a 1:4 carbon dioxide output and 75 percent recycled content. It is also remarkably lightweight, thereby reducing the ecological footprint of shipping.
Photo: Metroflor
Metroflor Corporation
Product: Aspecta
MetroFlor has devoted itself to leading the Luxury vinyl flooring category with new products, designs, and manufacturing methods. Metroflor has been at the forefront of the shift away from phthalate plasticizers in all of their products. Their customer service building, Halstead International, has created an attractive and comfortable, energy-efficient workplace using sustainable materials with a long-term cost benefit. Halstead’s building is Georgia’s Tenth LEED Platinum project and the first for the city of Calhoun, GA.
Photo: Assa Abloy
ASSA ABLOY
Product: EcoFlex Electrified Mortise Lock
ASSA ABLOY is a global leader in door opening solutions, and are making their products a vital component of the green marketplace. The team has included ILFI’s Red List into their own internal ‘red list’ so they can continue to phase out harmful chemicals in their products and processes. ASSA ABLOY is seeking Living Product Challenge certification with their newly re-designed EcoFlex Electrified Mortise Lock. This lock previously used a solenoid motor, which meant it was pulling power continuously. However, the new design has a step driven motor. Acting like a hybrid car, it pulls enough power from the grid to charge the lock and then waits in low energy standby mode until a user presents an access card. Read more about their products on our TrimTab blog.
Photo: Mohawk
Mohawk Group
Product: Lichen Collection
Last month, the Mohawk Group received Petal Certification for Water, Place, and Health & Happiness in the Living Product Challenge for the Lichen Collection, a modular carpet tile product backed by the company’s EcoFlex NXT backing. Designed by ILFI Founder and Board Chairman Jason F. McLennan, the Lichen Collection incorporates both biophilia and biomimicry, and is designed to be manufactured within the water balance for the site of the factory in Calhoun, Ga. Read more about the collection on our TrimTab blog.
Photo: Lightart
Light Art
Product: LA2
“With discerning expertise in architecture, sculpture, and lighting, we specialize in understanding the vision for space and use the art of light to accentuate the desired aesthetic.” –Ryan Smith, President & Creative Director. The result of LightArt’s research and development, LA2 Technologies applies innovations in electronics, materials, and fabrication techniques to create fixtures that feature integrated, proprietary, solid-state LED systems; thin-gauge, lightweight material in over 1,000 color options; and a modular fabrication process to shorten lead time and minimize waste.They are the first light fixtures to earn LBC Compliant status, are designed and built in Seattle, and are able to be completely recycled, reused, or salvaged when clients are finished with them.
Photo: Armstrong
Armstrong Ceilings
Product: SUSTAIN™, a portfolio of ceiling systems
Armstrong World Industries offers the largest portfolio of high-performance ceiling and wall systems available today through their collection of SUSTAIN™ ceiling systems. The SUSTAIN portfolio contributes to better spaces with a complete offering of mineral fiber, fiberglass, metal ceiling panels, Tectum wall and ceiling panels, trims and transitions, and suspension and drywall systems. These products are free of Red List chemicals per Living Building Challenge 3.0 and have Declare labels – see here for the 22+ Armstrong products with labels.
Photo: Biome
Biome
Product: Taiga T35
Biome has created an autonomous panel of nature that can bioremediate your indoor air pollution: Taiga T35. Using silent fans, Taiga absorbs your indoor air and naturally eliminates Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s) created from cooking, cleaning products, and everyday products like carpeting and technology products. It is a fully enclosed system, and so no water line or drainage is required. As an immersive piece of landscaping technology, it automatically cares for 35 plants within its 5 air purification chambers. It’s light enough to hang directly on drywall with only drywall anchors for support. The included Biome LightBar shines a crisp white light on your foliage to ensure optimal health and lower maintenance. And, this product is Declare certified, the first technology company to be LBC compliant!
Photo: Ecobalanza
Ecobalanza
Product: Couture Collection
EcoBalanza is building the world’s most ethical luxury upholstered furniture. For over a decade, EcoBalanza has been sourcing the cleanest and most responsible materials, sourced with quality and integrity in mind. Ethically sourced, natural and organic materials create each of their products including finely crafted and sustainable sofas, chairs, ottomans and headboards. The Couture Collection consists of luxurious custom-made green upholstered furniture that can meet your personal preferences. Key features of each Couture piece include eight-way hand-tied coil springs system, under-upholstery layer with certified organic cotton twill and endless customization.
Photo: Teknion
Teknion
Product: Metropolitan ’14
Advancing sustainability is ingrained in the company culture. Teknion’s priorities as manufacturers are to minimize the environmental impact of their work and advance sustainability efforts within the industry as a whole. Eighty percent of Teknion’s component parts are manufactured in-house which provides greater control for them to challenge the status quo. Metropolitan ’14 is a fully upholstered rotating chair with a fully integrated seat cushion. According to Teknion, “the hallmark of the Metropolitan ’14 is the uniform flow of the seat into the armrests, creating a perfect nest for comfort and relaxation.”
Photo: Humanscale
Humanscale
Product: Diffrient Smart Chair and Float Table
To achieve the standards set by the Living Product Challenge (LPC), Jane Abernethy and her staff made significant changes to Humanscale’s facilities, implementing solar panels and a rainwater-capture system. The team also studied the lifecycle of each ingredient in every part of Humanscale’s products and found alternative materials or methods of production if anything was deemed harmful to people or the environment. In 2016, two of their products were the first to be certified under LPC: the Diffrient Smart Chair and the Float Table. At Neocon, Humanscale is introducing the World Chair, made in partnership with Bureo, who is supplying NetPlus, a material made by recycling discarded commercial fishing nets.” One of the company’s primary goals for 2017 is to ensure that its lighting offerings contain zero red-list (harmful) materials. For more on Humanscale’s endeavors, see their commitment to the LPC in this video.
Learn more about the Living Product Expo 2017, held on Sept 12 – 14 in Pittsburgh, and register today! Early bird ends August 1st.
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