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FURNITURE AND FITTINGS

GECA 28-2005 Standard (PDF)

UCI

UCI is a leading supplier of commercial office furniture.

Product Marketing Name: UCI

Use and Application: Workstations

Date of Certification: 13 June 2007

1. Description of the Technology.

Aero² is a workstation and storage system that has been intelligently designed to create flexibility in an office environment. Worktops can be supplied in a variety of boards to suit the project and environment considerations. Storage, cable and data reticulation styles are available.

2. The Products

Neotec Task Chair

Aero² Workstation Range:

The Aero²product line has achieved the Australian Design Mark Award, this award is granted to Australian designed products displaying excellence in design and function. The Australian Design Award is recognized by the Commonwealth Government and the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design [ICSID] as the peak promotional body for the Australian design industry.

The Aero²product line is backed by a ten year warranty.

Core Environmental Criteria Tested:

(Aero² workstation range)

Environmental Requirements	Core Environmental Performance Characteristics
Fibre source Wood and other natural materials from sources that are not certified under a recognised certification scheme (e.g. FSC or AFS) as being sustainably managed shall not originate from Illegal harvesting, Genetically modified organisms, or Uncertified high conservation value communities	The panel board product lines are from a manufacturer who has already been certified by the Good Environmental Choice Program, confirming that the fiber is sourced from managed plantations and by-products from sawmilling operations of plantation forests.
Treatment Wood and natural materials used in furniture and fittings products may not be treated with fungicides and insecticides that are classified due to their hazardous nature by the World Health Organisation as type 1a and Type 1b for storage and/or transportation. Refer http://www.who.int/whopes/ recommendations/en/	The panel board product lines are from a manufacturer who has already been certified by the Good Environmental Choice Program, confirming that no fungicides and/or insecticides are applied to the wood chips during storage and/or transportation.
Air Emissions Products made from wood and other natural products that contain formaldehyde based additives, shall be subject to air emission limits for formaldehyde as measured using the Air Chamber, Desiccator or Perforator test methods. Raw timber and natural materials is exempt from this criterion.	Ongoing independent and National Association Testing Association laboratory results confirm Formaldehyde emissions to be below 1mg./lt - using the Australian standard testing method. Many results demonstrated an in-use emission profile well below this cutoff limit.
Salvaged & Reclaimed Timbers Salvaged or reclaimed timbers may be used in certified furniture and fittings. Salvaged and reclaimed timbers must be certified by the EU Flower label or the Nordic Swan label or, once released, satisfy the requirements of the GECA Standard No – : Salvaged and Reclaimed Timbers.	This criterion of the standard is not applicable, as fiber used in the Aero² Product range timber components is not sourced from salvaged or reclaimed timbers.
Plastics - Resin Identification Code An appropriate plastics resin identification code promulgated by the Plastics and Chemical Industry Association must be marked on each individual recycled plastic products or components weighing greater than 100g.	This criterion of the standard is not applicable to the Aero² Product range as there are no plastic parts with a weight greater than 100g.
Padding – Latex Latex containing 1.3 butadiene shall be at levels ≤ 1mg/kg latex. The total amount of discharges ( measured as COD or TOC) from the production of foam rubber shall be treated and decreased by 90% in on-site or external sewage treatment works prior to emissions into waterways.	This criterion of the standard is not applicable, as no padding is used in the product line.
Padding - Polyurethane 1. CFC, HCFC, HFC or Methylene Chloride shall not be used as blowing agents. 2. Analine based amines, and pigments and catalysis based on mercury, lead, cadmium, and chromium must not be added to the padding material. 3. Where organic tin catalysts are used in the production of flexible polyurethane, the manufacturer must have in place a contract with a licensed or registered hazardous waste disposal company who is responsible for the correct disposal of the hazardous waste.	This criterion of the standard is not applicable, as no padding is used in the product line.
Fabrics Fabrics must be certified by the Good Environmental Choice Label, the EU Flower label or the Nordic Swan label or satisfy the requirements of the GECA Standard No – 19: Textiles.	This criterion of the standard is not applicable as the Aero² Product range has been assessed as white furniture prior to the application of fabrics in partitions.
Glass Lead glazing, crystal glass, mirror glass, wire reinforced glass and/or laminated glass must not be used in the furniture or fittings.	This criterion of the standard is not applicable as no glass is used in the Aero² product line.
Adhesives Adhesives must be certified by the Good Environmental Choice Label, the EU Flower label the New Zealand Environmental Choice Label or the Nordic Swan label or satisfy the requirements of the GECA Standard No – 1: Adhesives. Adhesives used to fasten textiles on to padding are exempted from the VOC requirements specified in GECA Standard No – 1: Adhesives.	The current adhesive used for applying the edges to laminated board is exempt from the requirements of the standard as this is a component element best considered under the timber panel and formaldehyde emission criteria. No other adhesives are used in the product lines.
Hazardous Materials The following substances shall not be added to eco-labeled furniture during the production process: Arsenic Cadmium Chromium Copper Lead Mercury Fluorine Chlorine Pentachlorophenol (PCP) Tar oils (benzo(a)pyrene)	There are two powder-coated products used in the Aero² product range. Review of MSDS for these confirms compliance to this criterion of the Standard. In addition, a statement by the development manager of the powder coating product also confirms that the above substances are not used in the Powder Coating.
Formaldehyde Emissions Furniture that contains formaldehyde based additives or products containing formaldehyde additives, shall be subject to air emission limits for formaldehyde.	The material characteristics of the product line demonstrate that when certified board is used the final product will fall well below these limits and will not need to be tested. This is also confirmed by a review of MSDS for the cleaning solution used on the Aero² workstation range.
Chemical Additives Furniture or fittings shall not contain carcinogenic substances in categories 1, 2A as classed by the International Agency for Research on Cancer – http://www.iarc.fr. At levels which expose the user to emissions greater than 1/20th of the NICNAS recommended limits	Review of MSDS of powder coatings and a review of chemicals in use during a site assessment concludes that none of the chemicals used in the manufacturing of Aero² product line emit carcinogenic substances.
Prohibited Substances Halogenated organic binding agents, analine based amines, phalates, aziridine or polyaziridines as well as pigments and additives that contain lead, tin, cadmium VI, mercury or their compounds are prohibited. There are some exceptions, for example the coating of metal gas lifts	The steel component of the workstations are rolled steel which has been powder coated. The Aluminum formwork is extruded powder coated aluminum. A statement from the development manager confirms the powder coating does not contain the above substances. There are no other chemicals applied in the manufacturing process that need to be assessed under this criterion.
Separability The eco-labeled product shall be easily disassembled making possible the recovery and recycling of materials used. In order to facilitate recycling of the materials used in products, the following materials have to be easily separated: - Aluminium, if it composes ≥ 5% by weight of the eco-labelled product; - Steel, if it composes ≥ 10% by weight of the eco-labelled product; - Glass, if it composes ≥ 10% by weight of the eco-labelled product; - Plastic, if it composes ≥ 20% by weight of the eco-labelled product.	There does not appear to be any technical barrier to the disassembly of the Aero² workstation, as was confirmed during a site assessment.
Product Custodianship The applicant shall accept their product without additional cost (not including transportation costs) for further recycling, or have arrangements with an Australian plastics or steel recycler to accept the product, or have an established product stewardship program.	UCI has an established product custodianship policy and have put a system in place to implement this policy throughout Australia. The product range is compatible with a suitable product stewardship program for the key components.
Coatings and treatments Furniture and fittings products (or components) must not be impregnated, labelled, coated or otherwise treated in a manner which would prevent post consumer recycling. Exemption may be made for products with a long product life where a coating or treatment would further extend the useful life of the product.	There is no coating or treatment applied to the Aero² workstation range that would prevent recycling.
Replacement Parts For those parts of a product which are subject to wear, e.g. hinges, locks, table leaves, functionally compatible replacements shall be guaranteed for a period of at least five years. Replacement parts are available to all products.	There are no parts in the Aero² range that are subjected to wear, so this criterion is not applicable to the nominated product range.
Recycled furniture Recycled furniture can be licensed in conformation to this standard providing that the furniture has not been refinished or coated with any materials except for the purpose of cleaning.	This criterion of the standard is not applicable to the Aero²Product range, as the range does not contain any recycled furniture.

View UCI EPD

(Neotec Task Chair)

Environmental Requirements	Core Environmental Performance Characteristics
Fitness for Purpose Certified products should be good performers in their intended application. It is implied that certain standards of product performance are implicit in the label. The manufacturer of the product must ensure that the product is fit for its intended purpose	The chair is rebranded from another manufacturer who is GECA certified. The manufacturer is certified to ISO 9001:2000 by SAI Global certificate number QEC0897, expiry 01.02.09. Following production, every chair is inspected for quality assurance by a purposely appointed employee.
Fibre source Wood and other natural materials from sources that are not certified under a recognised certification scheme (e.g. FSC or AFS) as being sustainably managed shall not originate from Illegal harvesting, Genetically modified organisms, or Uncertified high conservation value communities	The plywood shells are sourced from FSC certificated forest, the certification was issued by Woodmark , UK .
Treatment Wood and natural materials used in furniture and fittings products may not be treated with fungicides and insecticides that are classified due to their hazardous nature by the World Health Organisation as type 1a and Type 1b for storage and/or transportation. Refer http://www.who.int/ whopes/ recommendations/ en/	The timber was treated with methyl bromide, which is classed as non-carcinogenic by the World Health Organisation.
Air Emissions Products made from wood and other natural products that contain formaldehyde based additives, shall be subject to air emission limits for formaldehyde as measured using the Air Chamber, Desiccator or Perforator test methods. Raw timber and natural materials is exempt from this criterion.	Ongoing independent and National Association Testing Association laboratory results confirm Formaldehyde emissions to be below 1mg./lt - using the Australian standard testing method. Many results demonstrated an in-use emission profile well below this cutoff limit.
Salvaged & Reclaimed Timbers Salvaged or reclaimed timbers may be used in certified furniture and fittings. Salvaged and reclaimed timbers must be certified by the EU Flower label or the Nordic Swan label or, once released, satisfy the requirements of the GECA Standard No – : Salvaged and Reclaimed Timbers.	This criterion of the standard is not applicable, as it is not sourced from salvaged or reclaimed timbers.
Plastics - Resin Identification Code An appropriate plastics resin identification code promulgated by the Plastics and Chemical Industry Association must be marked on each individual recycled plastic products or components weighing greater than 100g.	The resin identification code is displayed on all plastic parts.
Padding – Latex Latex containing 1.3 butadiene shall be at levels ≤ 1mg/kg latex. The total amount of discharges ( measured as COD or TOC) from the production of foam rubber shall be treated and decreased by 90% in on-site or external sewage treatment works prior to emissions into waterways.	This criterion of the standard is not applicable, as no padding is used in the product line.
Padding - Polyurethane 1. CFC, HCFC, HFC or Methylene Chloride shall not be used as blowing agents. 2. Analine based amines, and pigments and catalysis based on mercury, lead, cadmium, and chromium must not be added to the padding material. 3. Where organic tin catalysts are used in the production of flexible polyurethane, the manufacturer must have in place a contract with a licensed or registered hazardous waste disposal company who is responsible for the correct disposal of the hazardous waste.	GECA has received confirmation from Foams suppliers that the foam they supply is in compliance with the requirements of this criterion. GECA has inspected contracts between suppliers and a hazardous waste disposal company for the proper disposal of hazardous waste. In addition, GECA inspected MSDS for the foam products.
Fabrics Fabrics must be certified by the Good Environmental Choice Label, the EU Flower label or the Nordic Swan label or satisfy the requirements of the GECA Standard No – 19: Textiles.	This certification only certifies the white furniture and does not cover the fabric that will be subject to the choice of individual customers
Glass Lead glazing, crystal glass, mirror glass, wire reinforced glass and/or laminated glass must not be used in the furniture or fittings.	This criterion of the standard is not applicable as no glass is used in the product line.
Adhesives Adhesives must be certified by the Good Environmental Choice Label, the EU Flower label the New Zealand Environmental Choice Label or the Nordic Swan label or satisfy the requirements of the GECA Standard No – 1: Adhesives. Adhesives used to fasten textiles on to padding are exempted from the VOC requirements specified in GECA Standard No – 1: Adhesives.	The chair is rebranded from another manufacturer. Solvent-based adhesives are used by the manufacturer in applying fabric to padding material. These products are high in VOC. Under the requirements of this criterion, they will be required to test water-based low VOC alternatives when these come on the market and, if successful, the company will be required to replace the solvent adhesive.
Hazardous Materials The following substances shall not be added to eco-labeled furniture during the production process: Arsenic Cadmium Chromium Copper Lead Mercury Fluorine Chlorine Pentachlorophenol (PCP) Tar oils (benzo(a)pyrene)	GECA inspected MSDS for all production ingredients. These do not contain the substances mentioned in this criterion, in addition a statement received confirms none of the substances mentioned in this criterion are added to the product in the manufacturing process.
Chemical Additives Furniture or fittings shall not contain carcinogenic substances in categories 1, 2A as classed by the International Agency for Research on Cancer – http://www.iarc.fr. At levels which expose the user to emissions greater than 1/20th of the NICNAS recommended limits	A review of MSDS for all production ingredients provides compliance with the requirements of this criterion.
Prohibited Substances Halogenated organic binding agents, analine based amines, phalates, aziridine or polyaziridines as well as pigments and additives that contain lead, tin, cadmium VI, mercury or their compounds are prohibited. There are some exceptions, for example the coating of metal gas lifts	None of the substances mentioned in this criterion are added to the products under assessment, this is apparent by a review of MSDS for all production ingredients.
Separability The eco-labeled product shall be easily disassembled making possible the recovery and recycling of materials used. In order to facilitate recycling of the materials used in products, the following materials have to be easily separated: - Aluminium, if it composes ≥ 5% by weight of the eco-labelled product; - Steel, if it composes ≥ 10% by weight of the eco-labelled product; - Glass, if it composes ≥ 10% by weight of the eco-labelled product; - Plastic, if it composes ≥ 20% by weight of the eco-labelled product.	There is no barrier to the disassembly of the product range; this was confirmed during a site assessment by a GECA qualified assessor.
Product Custodianship The applicant shall accept their product without additional cost (not including transportation costs) for further recycling, or have arrangements with an Australian plastics or steel recycler to accept the product, or have an established product stewardship program.	UCI has an established product custodianship policy and have put a system in place to implement this policy throughout Australia . The product range is compatible with a suitable product stewardship program for the key components.
Coatings and treatments Furniture and fittings products (or components) must not be impregnated, labelled, coated or otherwise treated in a manner which would prevent post consumer recycling. Exemption may be made for products with a long product life where a coating or treatment would further extend the useful life of the product.	No coating or treatment that will prevent recycling is applied to the nominated chair
Replacement Parts For those parts of a product which are subject to wear, e.g. hinges, locks, table leaves, functionally compatible replacements shall be guaranteed for a period of at least five years. Replacement parts are available to all products.	Replacement parts are available upon request by the client.
Recycled furniture Recycled furniture can be licensed in conformation to this standard providing that the furniture has not been refinished or coated with any materials except for the purpose of cleaning.	This criterion of the standard is not applicable to the product, as it does not contain any recycled furniture.

View UCI Neotec EPD

3. Environmental and Social Regulatory Obligations:

GECA also found UCI to be fully compliant with their obligations under Labour, Anti-Discrimination, and Safety Regulations. The company has not been the subject of prosecution in relation to compliance with labour, anti- discrimination, safety regulations and environmental regulations.

Additional Information

Good Environmental Choice Australia recommends these products to green purchasing officers, specifiers, and every day Australians seeking to purchase products and services on the basis of functional and overall environmental and human health performance.

For more information contact UCI directly:

UCI

Address: 700 Spencer Street, West Melbourne VIC 3003
Ph: 1300 824 824
Web: http://www.uci.com.au/

You can go to the company's web site here:

Good Environmental Choice Australia Ltd. - PO Box 4140, Weston Creek ACT 2611
Ph: 02 6287 3100 / Fax: 02 6287 3800 / E-mail - info@geca.org.au