Leave a Cleaner Mark

Level Your Life

At Ghent, one of our core foundational beliefs that we hold close is the importance of sustainability and being kind to the earth. Environmentally friendly products create a positive impact that is felt on a much larger scale, and we strive to abide by practices that align with sustainability and being eco-conscious. In fact, we are the only company in the industry with LEVEL certified products—our Aria and Harmony glassboards both have earned the BIFMA LEVEL® 2 Certification. Highlights of the Aria and Harmony glassboards LEVEL 2 certification are the use of water-based paints mixed just-in-time to cut down on VOCs as well as waste, low-iron glass for a clear, true color, and easy installation saving both time and money. Both Aria and Harmony glassboards are independently LEVEL certified by Intertek and have also earned Clean Air Gold certification for indoor air quality. Clean Air Gold is the highest certification that the third party laboratory Intertek can give for products that show excellent performance in minimal emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC). In fact, our Hex glassboard has the Clean Air Gold certification, making it another eco-conscious glassboard choice. 

By now, maybe you’re wondering what is so important about this certification. So, what is LEVEL and why does it matter?

Developed by BIMFA (Business and Institutional Furniture’s Manufacturer's Association) LEVEL is a voluntary certification program in which third-party auditors measure a product and its producer against the ANSI/ BIFMA e3 Furniture Sustainability Standard. BIFMA is the not-for-profit trade association and has been a main voice in the commercial furniture industry since 1973. LEVEL was created with ease in mind, intentionally designed to be a transparent and unbiased means of evaluating and communicating not just the environmental but also the social impacts of commercial furniture products. LEVEL takes into account the company’s social actions, energy usage, material selection and the human and ecosystem health impacts. From every angle, the LEVEL certification inspects sustainability from multiple directions. 

Explore our complete collection glassboards here, and be sure to check out Aria, Harmony and Pointe as they are our collection of  LEVEL certified boards.

More on BIMFA:

BIFMA sponsors the development and refinement of standards, educates on their importance and application and makes them accessible and easy to understand. Additionally, BIMFA  promotes sustainability throughout the life cycle of commercial furniture. They offer statistical and educational resources to their members and the public and reach out to regulators, consumers, and international partners to foster value and innovation.

BIFMA has developed standards that help office furniture manufacturers and suppliers ensure that their business practices promote good environmental, health, wellness, and social outcomes. Here are some short blurbs on each standard and what it aids in:

The ANSI/BIFMA e3 Furniture Sustainability Standard

The ANSI/BIFMA e3 Furniture Sustainability Standard was first published in 2008 and continues to be the leading standard for the assessment of environmental, health and wellness, and social impacts pertinent to furniture products. 

LEVEL®

In 2009, BIMFA introduced LEVEL (the standard we have been discussing today!) The LEVEL mark attests that the product, the manufacturing facility, and the company responsible for the product brand, have been evaluated against the criteria of the ANSI/BIFMA e3 Furniture Sustainability Standard (see above) and by independent, third-party certifiers. 

Life Cycle Assessment/Product Category Rule Development

BIFMA is creating product category rules for the furniture industry,  through an open development process. These are the rules by which life cycle assessments should be performed in the office furniture industry and the resultant life cycle assessments can be used to create environmental product declarations for publication and sharing with customers. 

For more information about BIMFA, click here! 

Embodying Conscious Practices

Part of our mission is to be at the forefront of the visual communication industry, and with that desire comes the responsibility of staying on top of the advancements being made. Out of our six core values, helping the environment is one of them:

• • Do the Right Thing
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• • Be Caring and Compassionate
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• • Preserve the Environment
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• • Drive and Embrace Change
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• • Engage in Open Communication
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• • Promote Teamwork
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Outside of our LEVEL certifications, we have other practices we implement into the culture of our company to be conscious of our impact.

• • Because we are made in the USA, we are able to keep a more intentional view of how our products are being made and what materials are being used, as well as the practices of how the individuals are being treated who help make our products possible.
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• • Ghent is fully committed to recycling! 95% of what we make is made in the States, allowing us the gift of being able to manage the entire process from sourcing to assembling.
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• • Quality is also a factor of sustainability, ensuring your product a long life. From selecting water-based paints and the stains we choose, to the lamination process and what fabrics and tackable surfaces we offer, each component is high-quality and offers you years of dependable use.
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At the end of the day, Ghent is committed to sustainability, and partners with other companies that hold eco-consciousness as a core value. Holding such high standards ensures us that our products are ethical, made with integrity and will last you a lifetime of great use.