Certifications

We recognize the importance of designing LEED-certified projects, so we’re happy to support you in any way we can.

By specifying our products, we can help you secure points toward LEED certification in four categories:

• Energy and Atmosphere
• Materials and Resources
• Indoor Environmental Quality
• Innovation

LEED is the pinnacle of green building practices and buildings certified by this highly regarded third party are energy efficient, use non-toxic building materials, are water-smart and respect the environment in which they’re constructed.

From offices to schools to hospitals and to government buildings, the need to achieve LEED certification is more important than ever before. This is because LEED-certified facilities use resources more efficiently than ones built to code. As a result, LEED-certified buildings provide healthier environments—conducive to higher productivity, improved health and comfort. Learn more at www.usgbc.org.

KI designs and manufactures low-emission products to help improve indoor air quality for both our customers and employees, as well as for interiors catering to sensitive environments such as schools and healthcare facilities. We do not use any chemicals that exceed any known federal, state or municipal government indoor air quality measurement, and we use materials that meet and exceed the requirements for indoor air quality standards.

The GreenGuard Environmental Institute (GEI), a non-profit organization dedicated to air quality standards, provides unbiased testing and certification through its GreenGuard Certification Program. We rely on this program to ensure our products meet the most stringent third-party standards for indoor air quality – thus providing a better quality of life for the people using our products, because they are breathing cleaner indoor air.

Most KI products are GreenGuard-certified or GreenGuard-certified for Children & Schools. To see if a KI product you’re interested in meets these certifications, select a product from the list here.

GreenGuard certification is imperative for those looking to achieve LEED Certification – especially in educational institutions and healthcare facilities where improved air quality is becoming a requirement rather than optional. To see how GreenGuard certification can positively impact LEED ratings, see KI's list of GreenGuard certified products.

Poor indoor air quality has been identified as a cause of illness, which leads to employee sick days and loss of productivity. The quality of air in educational institutions, healthcare facilities and offices can be directly affected by harmful Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). VOCs are common in indoor environments and are emitted from sources such as cleaning compounds, wood products, waxes, paints and other coatings. These compounds easily volatize (vaporize from a solid or liquid into a gas) into the air people breathe and are considered contributing factors of allergies, asthma and potentially cancer over long periods of exposure. To learn more, go to www.greenguard.org.

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is widely regarded as one of the most important initiatives of the last decade to promote responsible forest management worldwide – and we agree. We partner with many vendors who can provide wood components sourced from FSC-managed forests, which may contribute toward the use of certified wood. All of our wood products can be produced using FSC-certified wood materials. Plus, all of our factories are FSC-certified and carry their own Chain of Custody (CoC) number.

Contact a KI representative to learn more about specifying KI products with FSC certification.
Specifying FSC-certified furniture can contribute toward LEED ratings.

KI has level^® certification for 161 products under the Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association’s (BIFMA) level Sustainability Program. As a result of this certification, interior designers, architects, facility managers and others across all industries can easily identify and confidently specify increasingly sustainable furniture manufactured by KI.

Developed in accordance with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) procedures, level is the label awarded to office furniture products that meet multiple criteria of the stringent, multi-attribute ANSI/BIFMA e3 Furniture Sustainability Standard. Earning the level mark requires validation by an approved third-party certification body.

Level establishes measurable performance criteria to address environmental and social aspects of product manufacturing throughout the supply chain, including the areas of Materials, Energy and Atmosphere, Human and Ecosystem Health, and Social Responsibility. Choosing level-certified products assures that the product is produced in an environmentally and socially conscious manner and comes from a responsible manufacturer.

View a complete list of certified KI products

BIFMA's level Certification Program is the multi-attribute sustainability standard and third-party certification program for the commercial furniture industry. BIFMA developed level to deliver an open and holistic means of evaluating and communicating the environmental and social impacts of furniture products in the built environment. Taking into account a company's social actions, energy usage, material selection, human and ecosystem health, along with numerous other impacts, level addresses how a product is sustainable from multiple perspectives. Learn more at http://levelcertified.org.