CCD-033: Office Furniture and Panel Systems

*Please note: there is an interpretation associated with this standard. It is available for viewing at the end of the PDF document

Office furniture and panel systems are used to furnish offices, divide spaces, offer privacy and provide means for hanging components in office settings. They may contain adhesives, fire retardants, varnishes and paints. These compounds may lead to human health impacts, ozone layer depletion, and generation of ground level ozone and photochemical smog.

The EcoLogo^M Program addresses these challenges by establishing strict requirements for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) levels, formaldehyde, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs). The net benefit will be reduced human health impacts, less potential for smog formation, and diminished ozone layer depletion.

To be authorized to carry the EcoLogo^M, office furniture and panel systems must:

• Be safe to use;
• Not emit VOCs at a concentration greater than 0.5 mg/m³;
• Not emit formaldehyde at a concentration greater than 0.5 mg/m³;
• Not contain or be manufactured with plastic foam using CFCs or HCFCs;
• Include stamps in all new rigid plastic components indicating the composition code to facilitate recycling;
• Be manufactured only from wood that has been harvested in accordance with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), if incorporating virgin wood parts; and
• Include information that describes procedures for repairing, replacing and ordering replacement components.