The Sustainable Furnishings Council has updated its Exemplary Manufacturer Requirements for home furnishings manufacturers.
The new requirements are available for review and public comment through the end of January. They include mandatory prerequisites and a certification evaluation that grants bronze, silver, gold or platinum status to compliant members.
According to SFC Executive Director Susan Inglis, "exemplary" recognition is available to all SFC manufacturer members that meet the specified criteria.
"We've updated our requirements for recognizing manufacturers as exemplary (at the bronze, silver, gold or platinum level) in order to streamline the process, yet without compromising rigor," Inglis said. "The requirements recognize our members' accomplishments and emphasize the most important third-party certifications that pertain to our industry. Ultimately, members who meet the mandatory requirements and complete our evaluation will save money and earn the recognition they deserve for the important certification investments they make."
SFC Exemplary Manufacturer Requirements are divided into three sections: Operations, which covers energy-use reduction and employee relations; Product, which includes materials choices and production processes; and Outreach, which spans marketing, education and other community outreach efforts.
"SFC's Exemplary recognition is extremely important, and especially for manufacturers," Inglis said. "Like many other industries, the home furnishings sector needs to address problems of climate crisis and toxic pollution, especially in our indoor environments. With our streamlined requirements and certification in place, our manufacturer members have clear guidelines to adhere to that can be used on a daily basis."
Exemplary recognition is available for retailer members as well. Exemplary Retailer Requirements were adopted in 2011 and can be reviewed here.
