MOVABLE WALLS. Environmental Stewardship Through Responsible Solutions. Rob Wittl Senior Manager and Product Expert Movable Walls, KI

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1 MOVABLE WALLS 2 Environmental Stewardship Through Responsible Solutions Rob Wittl Senior Manager and Product Expert Movable Walls, KI

2 2 Movable Walls: Environmental Stewardship Through Responsible Solutions

3 Introduction Each year, construction and demolition sends more than 136 million tons of debris to U.S. landfills. 1 Waste from drywall construction and deconstruction not only populates landfills but costs the average company $263,031 annually. 2 Environmental regulations have dramatically reduced landfill opportunities for solid waste like gypsum wallboard, the most common wall material used in construction projects. Post-demolition wallboard causes more difficulty for recycling facilities because it is more likely to be contaminated by finishes such as paint or wallpaper. Additionally, it often contains nails and other fasteners. Using movable walls minimizes the creation of such waste, allowing organizations to save the high cost of debris disposal created from conventional drywall construction. This in turn reduces the negative impact on the earth s environment. Equally smart is the judicious use of movable walls in supporting 21st century remodels and renovations of older buildings without disrupting asbestos or requiring expensive infrastructure for technology that might compromise classic aesthetics or overall function. These days, more and more organizations are pursuing green building initiatives, as are many suppliers, responding with recycled and recyclable materials, as well as environmentally sensitive manufacturing processes that conserve natural resources. Movable walls are a great solution in support of green design and building. 3

Taking the LEED With Movable Walls Organizations considering movable wall systems as an environmentally responsible solution should look for products that are level certified and that can also

Movable walls should be designed for optimum sustainability with substantial levels of recycled content, like recycled aluminum and steel, or provide fabric options with recycled content.

4 Taking the LEED With Movable Walls Organizations considering movable wall systems as an environmentally responsible solution should look for products that are level certified and that can also contribute to the credits within the USGBC LEED rating system. Some key features to consider: high Recycled Content and Rapidly Renewable Materials. Movable walls should be designed for optimum sustainability with substantial levels of recycled content, like recycled aluminum and steel, or provide fabric options with recycled content. Other options may feature rapidly renewable materials like bamboo veneers, cotton batting, wheat board, eucalyptus, and soy. Highly Recyclable. Panels and components should fall between percent recyclable and reusable. An excellent industry standard is 97 percent recyclable and 99 percent reusable. Aluminum, steel, and glass are easily recyclable in walls that feature these materials. Wherever mixed materials are used, the recyclable materials should be easily separated with minimal waste. Certified Wood. FSC -certified materials can be specified for movable wall doors and trims. Organizations may further wish to minimize the use of raw forest materials by substituting wheat board in the movable walls they choose. 4 Movable Walls: Environmental Stewardship Through Responsible Solutions

Landfill Reduction and Construction Waste Management. Movable walls nearly eliminate construction waste and landfill disposal compared to traditional construction.

Lightline is the only fully pre-assembled storefront product solution that can be easily moved and reconfigured without waste and with minimal labor.

5 Landfill Reduction and Construction Waste Management. Movable walls nearly eliminate construction waste and landfill disposal compared to traditional construction. No carpet cuts, no ceiling tile cuts, and no framing or drywall offal mean no installation or renovation debris. Preassembled construction also means less waste than stick-built products. Lightline is the only fully pre-assembled storefront product solution that can be easily moved and reconfigured without waste and with minimal labor. The United States produces more than four pounds of construction waste per person per day. 3 Building Reuse. Whether it s interior nonstructural elements or existing walls and floors, movable walls help extend the lifecycle of existing building materials. They are designed to allow the use of continuous reconfigurations without the waste of drywall as well as the use of continuous ceiling planes, given walls are installed in a non-invasive manner. This allows virtually 100 percent reuse of existing ceilings. Resource Reuse. Quality movable walls are designed for maximum life and nonobsolescence. Current generation products should work seamlessly with previous generations. Superior solutions are also designed for easy field refurbishment. Demountable skins allow for simple repairs or updates to power and data or the change-out of finishes to be reused in new spaces. In addition, having fewer parts translates into fewer resources used in manufacturing, which also greatly reduces the human resources and time resources required for installation and reconfiguration. Indoor Air Quality. Using the right movable walls can help reduce indoor air quality issues. Built and finished offsite, their use eliminates the onsite dust, debris, and emissions common to traditional construction and reconstruction. In addition, look for movable walls that have been tested by a third party according to ANSI/BIFMA M7.1 and meet the requirements for LEED IEQC4.5: Low Emitting Materials for Furniture. This certifies the walls pass strict testing guidelines for acceptable indoor air quality levels in sensitive environments, such as those with young children, and healthcare environments. Americans spend 90 percent of their lives in artificial (indoor) environments. 4 5

6 Enhanced Acoustical Performance. Critical for many environments, movable walls must do a superior job of blocking sound. Look for panels that have been tested to STC of 44-48, exceeding the acoustical performance of packed drywall construction and other movable wall systems. Regional Materials. Using movable walls manufactured regionally and/or within the U.S. reduces the environmental impacts resulting from long-distance transportation while supporting the domestic economy. Density and Community Connectivity. Movable walls and systems furnishings can help increase the people density without compromising worker productivity. This increase has a dramatic effect on the amount of required real estate and in the consumption of fewer resources needed to build and operate a smaller building footprint. 6 Movable Walls: Environmental Stewardship Through Responsible Solutions

7 Daylight and Views. Movable walls can be a great way to connect indoor spaces with the outdoors, providing an enhanced sense of well-being. With virtually unlimited glass options, movable walls can be designed to include glazing materials that preserve both daylight and views. Thoughtful design, variation of panel heights, selection of vision glazing, the incorporation of transoms, use of negative space, and proper orientation in workspaces help provide access to daylighting and preserve view corridors. 7

8 ENDLESS ENVIRONMENTAL POSSIBILITIES When it comes to movable walls, how green can you go? Quite green, actually. KI was challenged to help a large e-commerce business become more flexible, adaptable, and environmentally friendly. In this tailored solution, unique and resourceful materials were used to meet the client s sustainability goals. AL FB AL FB CS Aluminum: Consists of 70 percent recycled content (post-consumer at 60 percent and pre-consumer at 10 percent.) Fabrics: Made from 66 percent post-consumer clear plastic soda bottle material from the Pallas Textiles division. Carbon Steel: Consists of post-consumer content of 46.2 percent and 31.1 percent pre-consumer recycled content for a total of 77.3 percent total recycled content. The industry standards are at 25 percent. 8 Movable Walls: Environmental Stewardship Through Responsible Solutions

Packaging Materials: The foam material used between door frames is a polyethylene #2 plastic made from recycled materials and is 100 percent recyclable and is re-useable.

9 Packaging Materials: The foam material used between door frames is a polyethylene #2 plastic made from recycled materials and is 100 percent recyclable and is re-useable. These plastic inserts can be sent back to the factory for re-use. The metal and plastic banding used in the packaging is 100 percent recyclable. Corrugate packaging and inserts are 100 percent recyclable and contain 78 percent recycled content. GL RN CS WD RN GL WD Recycled Newspaper: Acoustical material comprised of 100 percent recycled fiber consisting of newspaper. Glass: Glass materials have 10 percent pre-consumer recycled materials. Wood: Doors are made from 100 percent reclaimed, pre-consumer materials. 9

STEWARDSHIP, SUSTAINABILITY, MOVABLE WALLS Movable walls can help organizations meet their present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs the very

10 STEWARDSHIP, SUSTAINABILITY, MOVABLE WALLS Movable walls can help organizations meet their present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs the very definition of sustainability. For maximum reassurance, look for a product that is level certified according to ANSI/BIFMA e3 Furniture Sustainability Standard and that can also contribute to the credits within the USGBC LEED rating system. 10 Movable Walls: Environmental Stewardship Through Responsible Solutions

11 REFERENCES 1 Environmental Protection Agency. (2012). Wastes, Non-Hazardous Waste, Industrial Waste. United States Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved from gov/osw/nonhaz/industrial/cd/basic.htm 2 The National League of Cities. (2012). Construction and Demolition Diversion. Sustainable Cities Institute at the National League of Cities. Retrieved from sustainablecitiesinstitute.org/view/page.basic/class/feature.class/lesson_cd_diversion_ Program 3 Environmental Protection Agency. (2010). Municipal Solid Waste Generation: Recycling and Disposal in the United States. United States Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved from 4 R.S. Means Engineering. (2002). Green Building: Project Planning & Cost Estimating. R.S. Means Company. (24) 452. To learn more about movable wall, visit or call Scan the QR code to see KI s specific movable wall solutions. 11

12 Movable Walls: Environmental Stewardship Through Responsible Solutions. This research report furnished to you courtesy of KI. Printed on FSC certified paper using only vegetable-based inks, including metallics. Please recycle. KI and Furnishing Knowledge are registered trademarks of Krueger International, Inc Krueger International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Code KI-99342R1/CC/HC/VL/0813

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