New “EPA Recommended” Icon Announced By GSA
level® Certified Furniture Products More Easily Found
BIFMA standards have received significant attention from government purchasers in recent weeks. As a result, a singularly focused website has been created for information about the government’s recognition of the ANSI/BIFMA e3 Furniture Sustainability Standard and level® Certification Program.
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) added a new icon to their GSAAdvantage! online shopping and ordering service last week and an “EPA Recommended” icon will now identify products that conform to standards, certifications, and ecolabels recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency in December.
For furniture, “BIFMA level” was recommended after a rigorous review in an EPA Guidelines Pilot Assessment and has the largest number of certified products in that category.
These recognitions distinguish the ANSI/BIFMA e3 Furniture Sustainability Standard standard for creating positive, measurable, and meaningful changes in the environmental performance of products. level is the largest certification program recommended for furniture with over 3,700 certified products. More information on the GSA announcement and EPA recommendations can be found at the following website: levelpreferred.org
Educational sessions on these developments and further details can be received by signing up on the Contact page of the website.
The new website was created for quick retrieval of information on the government’s recommendation and use of BIFMA standards. The Federal Government is one of the largest purchasers of furniture and employs over 30,000 procurement professionals. The recommendation and new icon announcements are important developments for any manufacturer selling to the federal government and BIFMA believes that the recommended programs will be increasingly sought out by private sector purchasers as well.
It is a testament to the many years of hard work, collaboration with stakeholders outside of the industry, and the transparency of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) process that BIFMA standards are becoming preferred.
If government sales are important to your organization, consider joining BIFMA to fully benefit from our work in highlighting level certified products as preferred.
About BIFMA
BIFMA is the not-for-profit trade association for business and institutional furniture manufacturers. Since 1973, BIFMA has sponsored the development and refinement of current and future furniture standards, educates on their importance and application, and translates their necessary complexity into more easily understood formats. BIFMA also monitors the state of the industry, serves as a forum for member cooperation and collaboration, interacts with international counterparts, and advocates for regulatory conditions that foster value and innovation.
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