CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY

A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO
ADVANCING SUSTAINABILITY
AT STEELCASE

To minimize its environmental footprint—in fact, to have a positive impact every-

where it operates—Steelcase pursues many paths to sustainability: environmen-
tally friendly facilities and processes, eco-sensitive products and materials that
can be re-used and recycled, informing and engaging stakeholders, and sharing
learning with others in the industry, to name just a few. Challenging itself to do
more through continuous learning and improvement is at the core of a green
strategy that has earned accolades for the company. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Allan W. Smith and David A. Rinard

hether it is apparent or not, every one of us
W is exposed to dozens of environmental mes-
sages every day. Issues like climate change, acid
rain, energy consumption, and more fill our head-
lines, news stories, Web sites, and even our televi-
sion and print advertising. There is a growing global
consciousness of the need for people, businesses,
and organizations to become more eco-sensitive—
to protect, preserve, and restore the environment.
Supporting environmental initiatives—clean-
ing up and caring for the things that need to be pro-
tected—has become both a business performance
issue and a key marketing issue. More and more in
the global marketplace, environmental attributes
are being recognized as a measure of quality.
In the contract furnishings industry, where Steel-
case conducts its business, the market is also push-
ing toward more environmentally sensitive prod-
ucts and services. Today, more than 80 percent of all
the requests for proposals Steelcase receives have
some kind of environmental requirement, and
among the most competitive, largest scale projects,
about 95 percent of proposal requests include en-
vironmental factors as a key section to be addressed.
Years ago, customer requirements were quite
different. High quality was paramount, and one of
the distinguishing characteristics was on-time de-
livery. When Steelcase was awarded the project to
furnish all 110 floors of the Sears Tower in Chicago
back in the 1970s, one of the most critical factors
was the ability to deliver products on time, in se-
quence, floor by floor. Customers still expect high
quality and expert services, but they have envi-
ronmental requirements, too.

* * *

Allan W. Smith is director, Global Environmental Strategy and Programs, for Steelcase Inc. in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and can be contacted
at asmith4@steelcase.com. David A. Rinard is director, Environmental Performance, for Steelcase Inc. in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and can be
contacted at drinard@steelcase.com. © 2006 by Steelcase Inc.; all rights reserved. Reprinted by permission of Steelcase Inc.

JOURNAL OF ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE / Summer 2006

Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com) DOI: 10.1002/joe.20096
© 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. 3
4 Allan W. Smith and David A. Rinard
A LIFELONG COMMITMENT
Environmental responsibility is part of the legacy
we have lived and worked since our company was
founded in 1912. Back then, it was embodied in
the idea of how a responsible business conducts
itself and was manifested in practices that focused
on efficiency and stewardship. Throughout the
years, we have worked not only to comply with
environmental regulations but also to do more,
seek opportunities, and push ourselves because it
is ultimately good for our business.
Today, “protect the environment” is one of our
company’s core values, a guidepost that is
fully integrated with our business strategy.
Today, “protect the environment” is one of our
company’s core values, a guidepost that is fully in-
tegrated with our business strategy. To fulfill that
strategy, we are working continuously to link every
area of our organization and every aspect of our
day-to-day business. We have put the leadership
in place to build on our environmental foundation,
connect our corporate efforts, and create global
synergy to ensure that we link all areas of our or-
ganization—operations, sourcing, product mar-
keting, international teams, sales, communications,
research and development, workspace futures, and
design—to our environmental strategy. As we con-
tinue to develop, enable, and implement various
aspects of our global environmental strategy, we
have learned that protecting the environment is a
continuous process, contingent upon internal ed-
ucation and training for key stakeholders.
INNOVATION IN PROCESSES AND
FACILITIES
Like most industries and manufacturers, we began
the core of our efforts to become more environ-
mentally sustainable with manufacturing opera-
tions. Complying with regulations and meeting
standards were simply the basics. Our continuing
goal has been to exceed those expectations—to
innovate using leading-edge technology and
processes to reduce waste, promote recycling, and
conserve resources.
JOURNAL OF ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE / Summer 2006 DOI: 10.1002/joe
Steelcase has always had an operations focus
and an efficiency mindset, and lean implementa-
tion was incorporated into our manufacturing
processes years ago. Early on, we looked at more
efficient use of materials, not only for manufac-
turing operations but also to make sure we were
in line with environmental standards—legally
compliant and operationally efficient. In the late
1960s, we hired the first person whose official title
was “environmental engineer” to help us deal with
the growing concern over environmental issues.
Since then, we have continuously fine-tuned
our systems and processes, learning as we go; re-
ducing waste and the use of materials, energy, and
space; and building upon the improvements we
have made, year after year.
For example, in the early 1990s, we studied
the utilization rate in our spray painting opera-
tions to determine just how much of the paint we
purchased left as part of a finished product. Sur-
prisingly, our utilization rate was just 30 to 40 per-
cent. Another issue we considered was the emis-
sions generated by the solvent-based paint used
in our process. Like all solvent-based coatings,
as the paint dried it emitted volatile organic com-
pounds (VOCs) that can contribute to the creation
of smog in the air. To address both issues, we
switched to a powder-coat paint process, which,
at peak efficiency, has a utilization rate of more
than 90 percent. And because it is a powder, there
are no solvents, which helps keep the air clean
and our employees healthier.
Our projections showed added costs with the
new paint process, but there were financial bene-
fits we never anticipated. The first-pass quality of
the paint was better, reducing touch-up or refinish.
Overall, the savings more than offset the added
cost of powder coat paint. Just as importantly, we
eliminated VOCs and significantly reduced the
generation of spent solvent (which is regulated as
a hazardous waste even though we recycled it)
from 15,000–20,000 gallons a week to less than
400 gallons a month.
Change in our manufacturing operations has
never been a matter of simply adhering to regu-
lations; rather, it is based on what we see in the fu-
ture and our commitment to the environment. We
believe it is important to do everything we can to
advance learning within our organization and
within our industry, building awareness of the im-
 Advancing Sustainability at Steelcase
pact that decisions can have on the health and
safety within communities and environments
around the globe. One example in our industry is
chromium, which is used in the leather-tanning
process. In many developing countries, open pits
or vats of chromium salts are used to tan the
leather, which can affect the health of exposed
workers. To address the problem, we are intro-
ducing a new, vegetable-based tanning process
for leather materials we use.
Experimenting with new processes and tech-
nologies has long been the norm for our company.
When we decided to build a new, state-of-the-art
wood furniture manufacturing plant, we chose to
incorporate new environmental building guide-
lines spearheaded by LEED™ (Leadership in En-
ergy and Environmental Design, a program de-
veloped and administered by the U.S. Green
Building Council). Under the LEED program, a
facility earns credits toward certification by meet-
ing standards for energy efficiency, safeguarding
water, conserving materials and resources, en-
hancing indoor environmental quality, and site
planning. While a number of buildings were seek-
ing LEED certification, the guidelines had never
been applied within a manufacturing framework.
In 2000 Steelcase acted as the LEED pilot
program for a manufacturing facility when we
began the construction planning process of our
new wood furniture plant.
Working closely with the U.S. Green Build-
ing Council throughout all phases of planning and
construction, Steelcase successfully incorporated
LEED criteria into the building design and earned
a Silver Certification rating in 2001. Our Wood
plant was the first LEED-certified manufacturing
facility in the world, setting a standard for others
to follow.
Along with committing to environmental
building criteria, we went a step further. We in-
troduced a new technology for wood finishing that
reduced VOC emissions by more than 90 percent.
Remaining VOC emissions are captured by our
emission control process and destroyed. Excess
water is reclaimed from the finishing process and
recycled for other processes such as mixing water-
based stains.
Throughout the manufacturing process, we
minimize waste, its inherent costs, and its envi-
ronmental impact. Of the solid waste that is pro-
5
duced, 70 percent is recycled. Sawdust is sent to a
waste-to-energy facility that uses it as a fuel in the
production of energy. Veneer scrap is mixed with
yard waste, composted, and reused as topsoil.
Many of the steps we took to receive LEED
building certification are not directly related to
the manufacturing process—like low flush toilets
and energy-saving roofing materials. We believe,
however, that ultimately it all contributes to the
quality of the products built there. Safer, health-
ier workers create better products. And a cleaner
environment creates a better future for people and
for business.
Throughout the manufacturing process, we
minimize waste, its inherent costs, and its
environmental impact.
Another step Steelcase has taken in support
of our environmental goals is applying interna-
tional standards to the manufacturing process. We
are enhancing our environmental management
system by adopting ISO 14001, an international
standard for validating that manufacturers have a
measurement and monitoring system for various
operations and activities, including environmen-
tal impact. To date, Steelcase has achieved ISO
14001 for seven of our manufacturing plants, in-
cluding Madrid, Spain; Sarrebourg, France; Genk,
Belgium; Rosenheim, Germany; Durlangen, Ger-
many; Markham, Ontario; and one in Grand
Rapids, Michigan.
All these efforts have made a difference. Be-
tween 2001 and 2005, our greenhouse gas emis-
sions declined 41 percent (see Exhibit 1). Over
that same period, we reduced our water con-
sumption by 54 percent as a result of technology
improvements and production efficiencies such
as water treatment and recycling. During that time
we also reduced the amount of energy we used—
including natural gas, electricity, coal, and diesel
fuel—by 46 percent (see Exhibit 2). We have been
consistent in these reductions even while sales are
on the upswing.
DESIGNING FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
In the early 1990s, as Steelcase studied environ-
mental and technology improvements that would
DOI: 10.1002/joe JOURNAL OF ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE / Summer 2006
6 Allan W. Smith and David A. Rinard
Exhibit 1. Steelcase Global Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions: 2001–2005
affect the manufacturing process, we also began
to focus more strongly on recycled content, recy-
clability, and the idea of design for disassembly.
At the same time, we moved from an infor-
mal approach to specifically embedding a proto-
col called Design for the Environment—a set of
formal design objectives integrated within our
global product development process that takes
into consideration:
• Long product life
• Use of sustainable wood sources
• Elimination of harmful materials and
indoor air emissions
• Maximized recycled content and
recyclability
• Conservation of resources and energy
(waste elimination)
• Product end-of-use strategy
One of the challenges we have encountered
in our work is understanding and balancing the
various environmental dimensions. What happens
if they compete with one another? How do you
make the right decision? We have learned that a
key part of confronting these issues lies in edu-
cation—helping people recognize the complexi-
ties involved so that they understand and optimize
for the full life cycle, not just one dimension.
JOURNAL OF ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE / Summer 2006 DOI: 10.1002/joe
Even with all the information that is available
today, it is difficult to tell which products are more
sustainable. Steel, for example, has an average of
30 percent recycled content, while aluminum is
more in the range of 70 to 80 percent. Manufac-
turers using aluminum in their product can rightly
claim that it has higher recycled content than a
steel-based product does, but because it takes two
to three times more energy to make aluminum
than steel, the higher recycled content could come
at a higher energy cost.
Every material has its own cost component,
its own environmental impact, and its own struc-
tural cost. Throughout the development process,
there are trade-offs between what materials are
best from an environmental standpoint, what is
required structurally, and at what cost. By weigh-
ing each factor and striking the right balance, we
can create a product that is environmentally
friendly, cost competitive, and meets all user re-
quirements. Working through the materials analy-
sis and different points of view about the results
requires both time and commitment.
LIFE CYCLE THINKING
The major push to broaden our environmental
focus to include everything from materials ex-
traction to end of use—in essence, the entire life
 Advancing Sustainability at Steelcase
Exhibit 2. Steelcase Global Energy Consumption: 2001–2005
cycle of a product—began in earnest in the early
1990s. Designtex, a Steelcase company, began
looking more closely at environmental factors re-
lated to the production of commercial textiles. It
started working with William McDonough, one
of the founders of McDonough Braungart Design
Chemistry (MBDC), a leading process and de-
sign firm. Together, they evaluated the chemicals
and materials used in the textile manufacturing
process against 19 human and environmental
health criteria. That research became the founda-
tion of a unique fabric line, the industry’s first
fully compostable fabric, woven from wool
sheared from free-range New Zealand sheep and
from ramie, an organically grown fiber from the
Philippines. The manufacturing process generates
no pollutants. In fact, when production began in
a mill in Switzerland, the Swiss regulators were
somewhat confused. When they tested the water
used in the manufacturing process, the water com-
ing out was cleaner than the Swiss drinking water
going in. Another benefit is that there is no waste.
Scrap fabric is recycled by a consortium of straw-
berry farmers, who use the biodegradable fabric
as ground cover and plant insulation.
This new process marked a significant step
forward in the use of environmentally sustainable
materials and technologies, and Designtex shared
what it learned with the entire textile industry.
Over time, Designtex has become one of the in-
7
dustry’s largest sources of sustainable research
and data. As its study of environmentally sound
practices expands, innovative products emerge.
Eco Intelligent Polyester™, for example, is the
first environmentally defined synthetic textile, de-
signed to be perpetually recycled into a product of
equal or greater value.
The Designtex experience, combined with our
evolving understanding of Design for the Envi-
ronment, made it clear that materials selection
was critical in achieving our long-term goal of
life cycle assessment.
In 2003 Steelcase began development of a new
seating product that would not only look, feel, re-
spond, and be priced in all the ways people need
and expect but also meet a whole new range of
life cycle environmental criteria.
At the outset, one key criterion was develop-
ing a product that was truly easy to recycle—a
chair that could be disassembled in minutes, using
common hand tools. No one had ever worked at
that level before, and we worked very hard to un-
derstand what that meant. What would people do
with the components? How much could actually
be recycled?
As part of the development process, we
adopted ISO 14040—an internationally recog-
nized and accepted framework for performing
Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) to evaluate the
environmental impact of the product throughout
DOI: 10.1002/joe JOURNAL OF ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE / Summer 2006
8 Allan W. Smith and David A. Rinard
Exhibit 3. Life Cycle Assessment
every stage of its life: raw materials, manufac-
ture, transportation, use, recycling, reuse, and
disposal (see Exhibit 3). LCA looks at a host of
issues, including:
• Reducing the use of potentially hazardous
materials
• Reducing waste and energy consumption
during manufacturing
• Limiting shipping distances
• Providing minimal and recyclable packaging
• Reducing environmental impact during
product use
Our work aims not merely to minimize nega-
tive environmental impact but to make any im-
pact we do have positive. To that end, we also an-
alyzed the product’s impact on global warming,
eutrophication (the loss of plants and animals in
aquatic ecosystems due to oxygen depletion), acid-
ification (damage to trees and water due to acid
emissions), and more. In all, 19 human and envi-
ronmental health criteria were considered.
The result of our work is the Steelcase
Think® chair, shown in Exhibit 4. In 2005 Think
became the first office furniture product to re-
JOURNAL OF ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE / Summer 2006 DOI: 10.1002/joe
ceive McDonough Braungart Design Chem-
istry’s new Cradle to Cradle™ Certification—a
certification awarded for implementation of eco-
logically intelligent materials and cradle-to-
cradle product design.
Think is composed of 99 percent recyclable
content. Think has no PVCs or solvents, and no
banned, restricted, or harmful materials such as
plated chrome or benzene. And just as importantly,
Think disassembles in minutes using basic hand
tools. All parts are stamped with icons showing
how they should be sorted for recycling.
Although we have been analyzing materials
chemistry since 1993, Think was the first Steelcase
product that looked carefully at materials chem-
istry within the development process. It added
new dimensions in design and engineering, as we
considered each component in terms of cost ef-
fectiveness, structural capabilities, and environ-
mental impact.
As we went through this extensive process,
time and additional layers of complexity became
challenges we had to address. We learned that part
of the solution lies in constant education and mak-
ing expert resources in materials chemistry and
life cycle analysis available on a continuing basis.
These challenges are ongoing, and we are con-
tinuing to develop systems that simplify the
process.
Think’s success broke new ground, validating
that a product could not only meet our economic
targets but also make a significant positive envi-
ronmental impact. Its success has helped reinforce
the benefits of incorporating materials chemistry
and life cycle thinking and assessment into our
design and development process.
LIFE CYCLE THINKING BEYOND
OUR WALLS
As we learn more about how to reduce waste and
conserve resources, we have opened the door to
new ways of minimizing our environmental foot-
print. And it is important that we do so. The build-
ings and furnishings industry accounts for sig-
nificant levels of energy consumption and waste
production, which negatively affect our environ-
ment. In fact, according to the WorldWatch Insti-
tute, buildings are responsible for 20 percent of
waste sent to landfills.
 Advancing Sustainability at Steelcase
Exhibit 4. The Steelcase Think® Chair
To focus on the issue, and offer customers a
range of prudent choices when a product no longer
meets their needs or reaches the end of its useful
life, we introduced a new program. The Steelcase
Environmental Partnership program helps con-
nect customers with environmentally responsible
methods of managing their furniture products.
Today it is one of the most comprehensive pro-
grams of its kind in our industry.
Through this program, customers can easily
contact their Steelcase dealer to refurbish, resell,
donate, or recycle products they no longer need.
Customers advance their environmental standards
while minimizing the associated cost, and our
dealers gain recognition for environmental re-
sponsibility. To support the program, Steelcase
brought together a comprehensive network of re-
cyclers, resellers, nonprofit agencies, and chari-
table organizations. For customers that want it,
we can provide a total tonnage measurement of
the amount of materials recycled. One of our cus-
tomers, for example, was able to keep 50 truck-
loads of furniture—250 tons—out of the landfill
by using the Steelcase Environmental Partner-
ship program.
For our customers all over the world, recy-
cling, reuse, and life cycle thinking have grown in
9
importance. As they develop more sustainable
processes and analyze waste streams, they see new
opportunities to reduce their environmental im-
pact in a variety of ways. Another way Steelcase
can help is through Pathways® Architectural So-
lutions, a portfolio of movable walls, access floors,
modular power, and cabling and lighting prod-
ucts. Pathways components have significant re-
cycled content and are built to be used over and
over again, unlike many traditional construction
materials. Customers benefit not only from an en-
vironmental standpoint but also from an economic
perspective in terms of decreased costs over the
life of the product, increased productivity, and a
stronger bottom line.
As we continue to learn more about life cycle
analysis, it is clear that reuse, recyclability, and
recycled materials will be at the forefront of our
thinking. Not only is it critical to the Design for
the Environment process, our customers gain
advanced design and more environmentally
sound products.
COLLABORATIVE AND VOLUNTARY
INITIATIVES
Like many manufacturers, Steelcase purchases
product components from suppliers around the
globe. These business partners are critical in our
efforts to improve manufacturing efficiencies
and reduce our environmental footprint. One
initiative in the United States that helps Steelcase
and its suppliers become more environmentally
effective is the Green Suppliers Network (GSN),
a collaborative venture between industry and the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
GSN works at all levels of the manufactur-
ing supply chain, leveraging a national network
of technical assistance resources. GSN focuses
on “lean” and “clean” manufacturing practices,
incorporating energy and materials efficiency
and process optimization into the supply chain,
achieving both environmental and economic
benefits. GSN metrics suggest the estimated
minimum payback for suppliers is 3-to-1 for
every dollar they spend on environmentally re-
lated improvements. One Steelcase supplier
saved $200,000 in the first year through GSN
participation, which translated into a 30-to-1
payback for their company.
DOI: 10.1002/joe JOURNAL OF ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE / Summer 2006
10
Steelcase has attracted more suppliers to the
GSN than any other single company in the United
States and is EPA’s chosen representative to talk
with other manufacturers and suppliers about the
program.
Within our manufacturing environment, mon-
itoring and eliminating costly municipal solid
waste and select industrial wastes are a continu-
ous improvement effort. To help achieve our ob-
jectives of recycle and reuse, Steelcase partici-
pates in WasteWise, a voluntary EPA program.
Making goals more explicit and visible, educating
our employees, and supporting their efforts make
the program successful. Over the years, we have
been honored with WasteWise awards for ac-
complishments in waste prevention, recycling col-
lection, and buying or manufacturing recycled-
content products. Through WasteWise, we do
more than promote the health of the environments
in the communities where we live and work: We
gain measurable economic benefits—petroleum
savings, reduced greenhouse gases, conserved en-
ergy, and landfill space savings.
Steelcase believes sharing learning, ideas,
and actions is critical to our collective
pursuit of a more sustainable world.
In our continuing efforts to conserve re-
sources and prevent pollution, Steelcase became
a founding member of the EPA Green Power
Partnership. In 2004, 4.5 percent of the power
we purchased came from green power sources.
That makes Steelcase the second largest green
power purchaser in the state of Michigan (be-
hind General Motors Corporation), based on
Green Power Partnership estimates. We are now
planning to go one step further by expanding our
green power purchasing to include locally gen-
erated wind power. What we gain is twofold: a
power source that is better for the environment
and human health, and a hedge against the
volatile prices of fossil fuels.
BUILDING AWARENESS AND
UNDERSTANDING
Steelcase believes sharing learning, ideas, and
actions is critical to our collective pursuit of a
JOURNAL OF ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE / Summer 2006 DOI: 10.1002/joe
Allan W. Smith and David A. Rinard
more sustainable world. We have been building
awareness of environmental issues and sustain-
ability with key audiences for decades, not only
to help them learn more about the scope and
type of activities we are pursuing but also to
spur new ideas and support participation in en-
vironmental activities at home, at work, and in
their communities.
Years ago, to encourage our employees to be-
come more involved on a day-to-day basis, we used
a short survey to gauge their personal interest in the
environment and their perception of the company’s
commitment to protecting the environment. What
we learned was that, overwhelmingly, people cared
about the environment and they demonstrated that
caring through recycling at home. Often, they were
unaware of Steelcase environmental initiatives.
Clearly, we had work to do.
We began by supporting recycling of office
waste. Recycling bins were placed throughout
our facilities, in visible and accessible loca-
tions, so people could recycle paper, magazines,
glass, and plastics from their home or work. It
is now to the point where recycling has become
second nature.
Throughout the ensuing years, employee in-
volvement in environmental initiatives has grown.
Today Steelcase sponsors many environmentally
oriented employee volunteer programs, from high-
way clean up to a grassroots program that sup-
ports “Small Green Steps” people can take to
make a difference.
Currently we are in the process of develop-
ing a new environmental education program for
all Steelcase employees that includes continu-
ing education units on topics such as materials
chemistry, which will explain what it is and why
it is important. Our goal is not only to ensure a
basic awareness and familiarity with our envi-
ronmental vision but also to further embed en-
vironmental thinking in every department’s goals
and objectives.
Through these and other environmentally
oriented initiatives, our people learn more about
opportunities to personally contribute to making
the world a better place. We help broaden their
frame of reference and invite them to delve more
deeply into environmental issues. Perhaps even
more importantly, they know they work for a
company that recognizes they make a difference
 Advancing Sustainability at Steelcase
in the world and are an important part of our ef-
forts to make products safer for people and the
environment.
In every initiative we take, it is people that make
it happen. Communicating with our stakeholders,
developing new learning opportunities, keeping
stakeholders in touch with what is going on and
how they can be part of the process—all are criti-
cal to developing sustainable practices and an en-
vironmental consciousness everywhere we operate.
LOOKING AHEAD
As we look to the future, one thing is certain: The
learning never stops. There will always be some-
thing new that emerges from research and the ex-
change of ideas and still more to accomplish to
advance and strengthen environmental and human
health, social responsibility, and economic pros-
perity in our worldwide operations. Today we are
exploring a number of different areas.
Materials Chemistry. Steelcase is working
with MBDC to assess and evaluate at a molecu-
lar level all of the chemicals and materials used
in our products and processes to weed out po-
tential hazards and promote a healthy, safe prod-
uct life cycle. We will use that research to im-
plement a materials scoring tool that will help
us in all current and future product design and
material choices, with the aim of developing
products that can be perpetually recovered and
reused.
Life Cycle Assessment. We are continuing
to analyze the product life cycles of our major
product lines to understand their environmental
impact at every stage. That wealth of data will
help us improve overall environmental perfor-
mance. In some of our recent work, we have
learned that Steelcase products with high steel
content actually have far less environmental im-
pact—such as lower impacts on energy resource
consumption, global warming potential, acidi-
fication potential, solid waste, and particulate
matter—than our competitors’ products, which
typically have a higher plastic and aluminum
content.
Recycling and Reuse. The ability to easily re-
cycle materials is a critically important element of
the Life Cycle Assessment process for address-
ing end-of-use issues for our products. Steelcase
11
continues to explore various strategies—mini-
mizing comingled components, consideration of
the number and type of fasteners, possible elim-
ination of adhesives, ease of disassembly with
common tools, and clear marking of recyclable
parts. By making our products easy to recycle,
the likelihood for recycling is greatly increased. It
is a big step forward in sustainability.
As our global manufacturing operations
continue to expand, we recognize
the long-term impact on people,
communities, and the environment.
From an environmental perspective, reuse is
an important benefit that saves materials, en-
ergy, time, and costs. We are applying what we
have learned through ongoing research and
through existing products such as Pathways® Ar-
chitectural Solutions, which is 100 percent
reusable, to develop new products that can be
reused and reconfigured and, at the end of their
long, useful life, disassembled, separated, and
recycled.
Eliminating PVC. Another goal is to elim-
inate polyvinyl chloride (PVC) from our prod-
ucts. Steelcase committed to a PVC exit strategy
in 2005, and we are working with suppliers to
find viable substitutes. The first step of our com-
pany’s journey to be PVC-free by 2012 is elim-
inating PVC from edge banding, a critical com-
ponent of the worksurfaces of most systems
products.
Social Responsibility. As our global manu-
facturing operations continue to expand, we rec-
ognize the long-term impact on people, commu-
nities, and the environment. To ensure the same
Steelcase standards for manufacturing and labor
are met, regardless of location, we have commit-
ted to independent social accountability audits
around the world, as appropriate. Making certain
that people are paid a living wage and provided
with a safe place to work is integral to our com-
mitment to demonstrate and advance good cor-
porate citizenship and sustainable business prac-
tices in every locality in which we live, operate,
or purchase materials.
Measuring Results. A critical part of becom-
ing more sustainable is continuous monitoring to
DOI: 10.1002/joe JOURNAL OF ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE / Summer 2006
12
evaluate our efforts. Are we really doing more
with less? Are we deriving as much benefit as we
can from the raw materials and energy we con-
sume? Are we conserving resources by applying
new technologies and business practices? Have
we met our cost targets?
To ensure that our efforts are making a dif-
ference, we will continue to look at many differ-
ent areas of our business—waste volumes, green-
house gases and other emissions, energy
consumption, resource utilization, packaging and
transportation, recycling within development and
production processes, and recyclable components.
We seek every opportunity to minimize our envi-
ronmental impact.
JOURNAL OF ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE / Summer 2006 DOI: 10.1002/joe
Allan W. Smith and David A. Rinard
DESIGN FOR ONE ENVIRONMENT
SHOULD NEVER COME AT THE
EXPENSE OF ANOTHER
This is the heart of the Steelcase environmental vi-
sion, to excel in every environmental dimension
to protect, replenish, and restore the communities
in which we live and serve. We challenge our-
selves daily to understand how our decisions will
affect people and the environment; to learn more
about how we can create sustainable products and
processes; and then to act on what we learn. The
more we learn—and apply what we learn—the
greater the benefits for the environment, our cus-
tomers, and our partners. I