BIFMA level® Certification

BIFMA level® is a voluntary third-party certification program based on the ANSI/BIFMA e3 furniture sustainability standard. It has been launched to provide a transparent and holistic approach for the furniture industry to evaluate and communicate the environmental and social impacts of their products in the built environment.

TÜV Rheinland is your experienced partner to prove conformance according to the ANSI/BIFMA e3 furniture sustainability standard and enable level® certification. Contact our experts now and they will first check to see if your furniture meets the prerequisites for a level® certification.

BIFMA level® sets measurable market-based definitions of progressively more sustainable furniture by establishing performance criteria that address environmental and social aspects throughout the supply chain.

With BIFMA level® certification by TÜV Rheinland, you can:

• Boost customer confidence in the quality and reliability of your furniture.
• Place your products on the market as safe, sustainable and environmentally friendly.
• Gain the lead against the competition with a neutral environment label.
• Demonstrate your high quality standards.

Please contact us at TÜV Rheinland to learn more about how sustainable furniture and BIFMA level® certification can positively impact your company or organization.

In order to achieve a level® certification, we support the furniture manufacturer of the applicant product by assessing their conformance according to the ANSI/BIFMA e3 Furniture Sustainability Standard.

Once our experts confirm that the prerequisites of the four basic elements of level® certification criteria have been met, it is possible to receive additional credits toward multiple levels of achievement in each element category by meeting the specified performance requirements.

Credits Lead to level® Certification

Beyond the prerequisites, there is no minimum number of credits from any of the four major elements required to demonstrate conformance. The required credits can come from any of the four elements. Each credit has one or more points that accumulate toward a level of conformance. In addition to a minimum number of total points required for each conformance level, there is also a minimum number of product related points for each level.

Throughout the certification period, the baseline and normalization values selected for each credit will be used consistently. The option to flexibly define the unit of measure appropriate for each credit enables you to demonstrate change over time.

Frequency of Conformity Assessment

If significant changes to materials, processes or the facility affect the eligibility for any credit within the scope of conformance at the time of the change, we will immediately re-evaluate your products. Overall, conformity assessment should be conducted within a time period no longer than every three years.

Tested furniture needs to meet certain minimum requirements in four different impact areas:

Materials
Material and natural resource considerations such as the product design process or the efficient use of materials are addressed in this category. Main features of the materials could consist of recycled content or rapidly renewable, bio-based and climate-neutral characteristics. Water and waste management, packaging and product life cycle impacts are also relevant in this section.

Energy and Atmosphere
Energy and atmospheric considerations such as establishing an energy policy are outlined in this area of impact. Other aspects include energy and greenhouse gas audits, the reduction of energy impacts, renewable energy use and generation, product embodied energy and greenhouse gas reporting.

Human and Ecosystem Health
Impacts on both human health and the natural ecosystem resulting from chemical constituents used in furniture products, production processes and the operations and maintenance of facilities are addressed in this category.

Social Responsibility
Management practices designed to avoid, detect or respond to threats to employee and community health and safety is the main focus of this section. Credits will be awarded for inclusiveness, good corporate citizenship, community engagement and instilling these practices into the supply chain.

The BIFMA level® is divided into three conformance tiers. Tested furniture products can be awarded a level 1, level 2, or level 3 conformance mark based on the accrued score achieved in their sustainability evaluation. Scoring is based on the degree to which the product, the manufacturer and production facilities meet sustainability requirements in the four areas of Materials, Energy & Atmosphere, Human & Ecosystem Health and Social Responsibility.

level® certified products can contribute to the required attributes of LEED® and other green ratings systems. The level® sustainability certification can account for more attributes than any other standard including material composition, life cycle analysis (LCA) bCarbon Footprint, Water Footprint and Product Life Cycle Assessment), recycled percentage composition and chemicals as well as eco and human health impacts. Four subject areas in which level® certification credits apply are listed below:

• Credit of USGBC (U.S. Green Building Council) LEED v4
  (Possible 2 Points): Core and Shell, Building product disclosure and optimization-sourcing of raw materials - Option 2
• Credit of USGBC LEED v4
  (Possible 2 Points): New Construction, Building product disclosure and optimization - environmental product declarations - Option 2
• Credit of USGBC LEED v4
  (Possible 3 Points): Low emitting materials
• Pilot Credit of USGBC LEED v4
  Possible 1 Point): Environmentally preferable interior finishes and furnishings

We test these furniture product groups for sustainability:

• Moveable walls
• Systems furniture
• Desking systems
• Case goods
• Tables
• Seating
• Accessories