Smith System’s Entire Product Portfolio Continues to Receive GREENGUARD Children & SchoolsSM Certification
Certification recognizes Smith System’s ongoing commitment to help educational institutions create healthy and positive learning environments
PLANO, TEXAS – (February 4, 2009) – It’s no secret that cleaner, more comfortable classroom environments help students learn more effectively, and no other classroom furniture manufacturer understands this more than Smith System. Recognizing the short- and long-term health concerns students face from exposure to poor indoor air quality, Smith System continues to be the only classroom furniture manufacturer whose entire portfolio of desks, chairs and library furniture passes the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute’s (GEI) GREENGUARD Children & SchoolsSM Certification.
“Children are more exposed to environmental toxins than adults, which places responsibility on manufacturers to make sure that their school products are designed to support learning while not being a detriment to children’s health,” said Molly Risdall, national sales manager for Smith System. “Manufacturers need to firmly stand behind what they produce, which is why Smith System is proud to be the only manufacturer of classroom furniture with 100 percent of its products carrying the GREENGUARD Children & Schools Certification designation.”
As an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to improving public health and quality of life through programs that improve indoor air quality, GEI created the GREENGUARD Children & Schools Certification Program to recognize companies whose school products meet or exceed stringent requirements for low chemical emissions. The GREENGUARD Children & Schools designation requires that furniture pieces collectively in a classroom not exceed the allotted chemical emission level set by GEI.
Of primary concern in school environments is exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from sources commonly used in educational institutions such as furnishings, paint, cleaning agents, solvents, flooring products and building materials. Studies have indicated that exposure to VOCs may increase the risk of childhood respiratory problems.
“Research shows a correlation between asthma and poor indoor air quality,” said Dr. Marilyn Black, founder of GEI. “In fact, asthma rates have risen 160 percent in the last 14 years in children under the age of five. This is why it is so important for Smith System products ranging from desks and chairs to shelving and workstations to have achieved GREENGUARD Children and Schools Certification – the strictest standard we offer,” continued Dr. Black. “Products certified to this stringent standard have been screened for more than 10,000 different volatile organic compounds and must meet the required California chronic exposure levels including 13.5 parts per billion (ppb) formaldehyde, ensuring the products health for indoor environments.”
Smith System first achieved GREENGUARD Certification in 2006 when the company’s entire product portfolio underwent rigorous testing on each material used in the furniture pieces. Additionally, each new or enhanced product must undergo the same testing protocol process, and in order to maintain GREENGUARD Certification, Smith System’s entire line has to be recertified quarterly and annually. Smith System’s entire product portfolio has sustained its GREENGUARD Certification designation since 2006.
When selecting furniture to improve the indoor air quality of schools, administrators and decision-makers should be mindful of companies falsely promoting products with the GREENGUARD Certification. For a list of GREENGUARD Certified products, visit http://www.greenguard.org
To learn more about Smith System’s commitment to the environment, visit http://www.smithsystem.com/environment.asp
About Smith System:
Founded in 1905, Smith System (www.smithsystem.com) has helped American education evolve by being ready with the right furniture at the right time. An industry leader in school furniture innovation, Smith System is committed to developing products that support the optimum learning environments -- addressing the needs of the student, the demands of the curriculum and the realities of space, maintenance and budget.
About GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI):
Founded in 2001, GEI is an industry-independent, non-profit organization that oversees the GREENGUARD Certification ProgramSM. The Institute’s mission is to protect human health and quality of life through programs that improve indoor air that people breathe. As an ANSI Accredited Standards Developer, GEI establishes acceptable indoor air standards for building materials, interior products, furnishings, electronic equipment, indoor environments and buildings. The more than 200,000 GREENGUARD Certified products must meet stringent; third-party standards for low chemical emissions based on established health standards and undergo rigorous testing and verification processes on a regular basis. GREENGUARD Certification is broadly recognized and accepted by a number of “green” building programs, including the United States Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED® program. An online guide to GREENGUARD Certified products is available at no charge at www.greenguard.org.
###
Media Contact:
Bill Risdall
Smith System
972.398.4050
billr@smithsystem.com
Media Contact:
Laura Wightman
Risdall McKinney Public Relations
651.286.6775
lwightman@risdall.com
< Back to News