PEOPLE. PLANET. PROFIT.

Transcription

1 PEOPLE. PLANET. PROFIT. Nearly a hundred years ago we made a promise that we would act as stewards of the environment. Since then, we ve been dedicated to serving our customers in a way that never becomes a disservice to our planet. We are committed to making that happen by creating and providing products that advance environmental and human health, social responsibility and economic prosperity. PEOPLE We think about the communities where we work, live and do business which is nearly everywhere in the world. By aligning our goals for people with our planet and profit aspirations, we re building the foundation for gains that we hope will be far-reaching and enduring. PLANET By rethinking our business systems and designing our products to avoid negative impacts on humans and the environment, we contribute to a sustainable future for the planet and its people. We commit to advance our practices through continuous learning and building partnerships with our customers, business partners and environmental thought leaders to optimize our performance and contribute to the science and practice of sustainability. PROFIT First and foremost, we aim to bring value by working together with our customers to create workplaces where their people love to work. It is also our responsibility to provide value to our shareholders so we can continue to reinvest in the business and generate new solutions to address customer business challenges.

2 OUR INSPIRATION LEARNING AS WE GROW HARDWOOD TREE IMPROVEMENT AND REGENERATION PROGRAM There s a saying that the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago, but the next best time is today. Hardwood is a renewable resource, but it s slow-growing and is subject to the whims of weather, insects, and fires. Even how well the trees are harvested affects the supply. That s why next to our wood furniture manufacturing plant we recently planted about 10,000 red oak and black walnut seedlings, part of a long-term study with Purdue University. Together we re learning how to grow trees faster and with more usable wood, and helping ensure that hardwoods are here for generations to come. DESIGNTEX + AFGHAN ARTISANS WEAVING A BETTER FUTURE FOR AFGHAN WOMEN Arzu, a nonprofit organization, empowers Afghan women weavers by providing rent-to-own looms and materials to craft rugs. But there is a catch the weavers must sign a contract to take literacy classes and send their children to school until the age of 15. The artisans receive a market rate plus a 50-percent bonus providing the means to support and feed their families. When Steelcase CEO Jim Hackett heard of the program, he knew it would be a fit for textile subsidiary DesignTex. The beautiful, hand-crafted rugs use locally harvested, naturally dyed wool preserving a traditional art and delivering a product with both a social and environmental conscience.

3 WEGE WIND ENERGY FARM PULLING ENERGY OUT OF THIN AIR The Wege Wind Energy Farm outside of the small town of Panhandle, Texas produces clean, emission-free electricity. As the sole sponsor of this farm, Steelcase is the largest investor in wind power in the furniture industry. On this wind farm, turbines stand 243 feet high and produce enough power for nearly 3,000 homes. And there is still plenty of room for wheat and grain sorghum to grow underneath the peacefully turning blades. ECOCRADLE BIOBASED PACKAGING PACKAGING THAT S FULLY ABLE : RENEWABLE, COMPOSTABLE, EAT-ABLE (YES, REALLY) As a part of our strategic packaging initiative, we are using a new material known as EcoCradle packaging. Grown (not manufactured) from renewable resources such as cotton seed hulls and mushroom roots. It requires very little energy to produce yet it provides the cushioning and strength of traditional synthetic material. When no longer needed, the packaging can be composted and adds nutrients back into the soil. In some cases it becomes part of the earth again in as little as 45 days.

4 ENCOURAGING DIVERSITY IN THE WORKFORCE CHILD CARE TO PROMOTE WOMEN IN THE WORKFORCE The child care system in Germany is lacking the infrastructure needed to provide adequate child care for working parents. As a result, many women who would otherwise choose to work must stay home until their children reach school age. That prompted Steelcase to dedicate a portion of their property to build a sustainable day care facility to improve diversity in the workforce. The facility, dubbed a small city for kids not only allows working women a child care alternative, it is sustainably built with a green roof, natural lighting and a wood exterior. EXTENDING LIFE FOR RETIRING ASSETS PHASE 2 PROGRAM The Steelcase Phase 2 program helps businesses with end-of-life furniture and equipment strategies regardless of who originally manufactured it. It facilitates the refurbishing, reselling, donating or recycling of furniture and equipment so our customers can fully leverage their assets to greater benefit society, the planet, and their own bottom line. This effort has extended the useful life of thousands of furniture products and millions of pounds of raw materials. It has dramatically reduced the amount of waste dumped to landfills. This program has enabled thousands of people and communities in need around the world to develop hardworking environments while using their limited capital where it s needed most. Over the past three years, 224 tons of furniture and materials have avoided the landfill to be reused by organizations, people, and communities in need around the globe.

5 BO PEEP Steelcase Surfaces has launched an Oeko-Tex certified seating fabric made using 100% wool a natural fiber and a renewable resource. Oeko-Tex is a global testing and certification system that confirms products meet applicable standards for substances of high concern. In addition, the supplier s mill in Brazil purchases only wool that comes from sheep that have not been subject to the practice of mulesing. WATER-BASED FINISHES THE AROMA OF FRESH CUT WOOD, NOT SOLVENT. At some wood manufacturing facilities, you need to wear a respiratory mask just to take a tour. At our wood furniture plant, we switched to water-based finishing processes. So our wood furniture is certified as lowemitting, our plant uses 30% less energy, and we ve reduced hazardous chemicals of concern used in wood manufacturing by 96%. What it all adds up to is this: our 600,000 sq. ft. wood plant has fewer VOC emissions than your local dry cleaning store. Taking a tour here is a breath of fresh air.

6 THE FACTS More Cradle to Cradle (C2C) certified products than any other company, in any industry: The world s first C2C (and fully powered) workstation The world s first C2C certified compostable fabric The world s first C2C certified keyboard assemblies The world s first C2C internationally certified product The world s first C2C certified full height wall The world s first C2C certified chair BIFMA e3 certified: Think, Siento, Amia, Leap, Move, Answer, Universal Storage, Garland, cobi, i2i, EE6, Walden, c:scape, Montage, Cachet and Series 9000 Think first certified level 3 highest BIFMA e3 standard All Steelcase systems and seating are SCS Indoor Advantage Air Quality Certified Antimony-free polyester The world s first LEED-certified manufacturing facility Gold LEED certified Chicago showroom All metal finishing is 100% VOC-free Standard veneers are domestically sourced All particleboard made of 100% recycled wood fiber Clarity water-based finishing for all wood products PVC free and halogen free wiring Peter Wege Wind Energy Farm: 35 million kilowatt hours a year enough to power over 3,000 homes Forest Stewardship Council Chain of Custody Certification 100% PVC-free by 2012 Reduce our carbon footprint 25% by 2012