Sustainable Facilities Tool General Services Administration

Materials, Furniture, and Furnishings Replacement

Daily wear and tear means that materials, furniture and furnishings require periodic replacement.

Following are Sustainable Strategies to consider as you replace Materials, Furniture, and Furnishings. Refer to the Share Section for a representative project Case Study to discover key practices, benefits, results and checklists.

Sustainable Strategies

Flooring

Carpet (Broadloom and Modular Carpet Tile)

• Use Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) environmental and energy guidelines for product and service purchases
• To reduce emissions, look for CRI Green Label and Green Label Plus certified carpet and low-VOC adhesives that meet South Coast Air Quality Management District Rule #1168
• Select carpet with sustainable material attributes such as recycled content, recyclability, and durability
• Consider a "tack-less" or non-adhesive, carpet installation to reduce emissions
• Use products that have manufacturer take-back programs
• Phase construction so that carpet is installed after off-gassing period when wet finishes, such as paint,  have dried and solvents have cured
• Use cleaning chemicals and solutions that are Green Seal certified
• Dry vacuum regularly and follow with a wet vacuum water extraction machine to protect indoor air quality (IAQ)
• Use carpet tile vs. broadloom to enable targeted replacement of worn carpet in high traffic areas
• Keep extra carpet tiles on hand to replace stained or damaged tiles
• Prevent stains by cleaning up spills promptly, starting with cold water and blotting cloths
• Use entry mats to help stop dirt and debris from entering the office space
• Use carpet rather than hard surface flooring to reduce noise pollution

Hard Flooring (Wood, Ceramic, Concrete and Terrazzo)

• Use Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) environmental and energy guidelines for product and service purchases
• Specify pre-finished wood flooring to reduce off-gassing on site
• Consider water-based polyurethane finishes for wood floors
• Consider nailing down wood floors to reduce adhesives use and emissions
• Select hard flooring with sustainable material attributes such as recycled content, recyclability, and durability
• Use cleaning chemicals and solutions that are Green Seal certified.

Resilient Flooring (Linoleum, Rubber, Cork and Vinyl)

• Use Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) environmental and energy guidelines for product and service purchases
• Specify adhesives and leveling compounds that contain minimal VOCs
• Select resilient flooring with sustainable material attributes such as recycled content, recyclability, and durability
• Select durable, water resistant and easily cleanable flooring materials for areas with water use and prone to increased wear such as frequently-used office machines and traffic lanes
• Use cleaning chemicals and solutions that are Green Seal certified.

Raised Access Floor

• Use Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) environmental and energy guidelines for product and service purchases
• Install under floor air distribution to enable user control of ventilation and increase flexibility for future space reconfiguration
• Select flooring systems with recycled content
• Use economizer operation with free cool air from outside to increase energy efficiency and less fan energy
• Reduce waste during reconfiguration by reusing wires, cables, diffusers and carpet
• Use cleaning chemicals and solutions that are Green Seal certified

Walls

• Use Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) environmental and energy guidelines for product and service purchases
• Select high recycled content when selecting walls for the space
• Use low VOC wall finishes to protect indoor air quality
• For hard wall partitions, use synthetic drywall made with recycled content and low VOC paint
• Consider modular semi-permanent, multi-use or movable walls for easy reconfiguration to reduce materials waste and disposal
• Consider replacing part of the hard wall partitions with interior glazing to allow natural light to penetrate into the interior space

Paint

• Use Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) environmental and energy guidelines for product and service purchases
• Consider use of lighter colors that reflect light in support of daylight strategies and to avoid the VOCs that are often added when tinting paint
• Protect indoor air quality by using water-based latex or acrylic primers and paints with low VOCs and schedule work after hours
• Complete painting before installation of porous materials, such as carpet or ceiling tiles

Wall Covering

• Use Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) environmental and energy guidelines for product and service purchases
• Specify vapor-permeable wall covering to avoid mold growth and indoor air quality problems
• Specify low-VOC installation adhesive

Ceiling

• Use Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) environmental and energy guidelines for product and service purchases
• Choose ceiling tiles free of formaldehyde
• Install ceilings after wet finishes have dried and solvents have cured, so that VOCs are exhausted and not adsorbed by surfaces
• Use products that have manufacturer take-back programs
• Use light-colored ceiling tiles to reflect daylight to allow natural light to effectively move throughout the space
• Consider leaving ceilings unfinished in non-critical spaces such as storage spaces
• Select and install acoustical ceiling tiles with higher Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC) absorption in the open office areas

Windows

• Use Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) environmental and energy guidelines for product and service purchases
• Consider windows with low emissivity coatings to prevent heat and ultraviolet (UV) rays from passing through the glass
• Use relights or interior glazing to increase access to daylight beyond the window wall
• Select durable, efficient window frames that can withstand exposure to exterior elements
• If replacement is required select energy efficient double or triple glazing windows

Window Treatments

• Use Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) environmental and energy guidelines for product and service purchases
• Use shades made from recyclable non-PVC fabric that is 3rd party certified
• Use dynamic systems such as automated shades to block, control or filter sunlight to avoid negative effects of glare and heat and maximize good daylight
• Keep views to exterior to reduce mental stress and increase visual rest

Door System

• Use Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) environmental and energy guidelines for product and service purchase
• Evaluate sustainable attributes such as high recycled content, low VOCs or formaldehyde free materials to determine the most sustainable choices available
• Reuse doors whenever possible

Furniture and Furnishings

• Use Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) environmental and energy guidelines for product and service purchases
• Select new furniture products with 3rd party certifications of reduced environmental impacts and low or no VOC emissions
• Avoid new furniture that is made with foam cushions that contain polybrominated flame retardants which are suspected of causing cancer
• Select durable materials, furniture and furnishings with long warranties to reduce impact of producing new furniture
• Request blanket wrapping of furniture, rather than plastic or foam wrapping, during shipping to encourage off-gassing before the furniture enters the interior space and to reduce waste associated with plastic or foam wrapping
• Purchase reused or refurbished furniture whenever possible or refurbish your existing furniture
• Select products that can be salvaged or reconfigured in the future or materials that can be recycled again and again
• Consider use of lighter colors that reflect light in support of daylight strategies
• Provide adjustable furniture and furnishings including desk chairs, workstation components, tables,  ergonomic tools and task lighting for occupant comfort

Appliances

• Use Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) environmental and energy guidelines for product and service purchases
• Look for ENERGY STAR and EPEAT labels on equipment such as copiers, monitors, and appliances to meet the 95% EPEAT product requirement in FAR when purchasing electronic products.  EPEAT registered can also satisfy the requirement for ENERGY STAR products
• Centralize and separately ventilate printers and copiers to reduce air quality problems. 
• Provide laptop computers in place of desk top computers to reduce energy and support mobile work
• Provide mobile telephony or voice over internet protocols (VOIP) to reduce the need for cabling, reduce move and churn costs, and support mobile work

References/Resources

• Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 23: 23.703 Policy: Government policy on the acquisition of environmentally preferable, energy efficient, and water conserving products and services, including EPEAT-registered products
• ASID Interior Design and Global Impacts 2007 #2. Indoor Air Quality
• ASID Interior Design and Global Impacts 2007 #3. Materials & Products