Standard Best Practices

• We pay a living wage rather than minimum wage & we extend that around the globe: Yes
• We have a written Social Equity Code of Conduct as a baseline for employee relations: Yes
• We have written and distributed a Supplier Equity Code of Conduct for our vendors and conduct training at our partner facilities on the adoption of same: Yes
• We and our partners meet or exceed all local health and safety codes and can document our health and safety working conditions in all our facilities/stores: Yes
• We have participated in or sponsored in-store, community and/or regional educational events on sustainability and the environment: Yes
• We investigate and mitigate any negative environmental impacts from our operations: Yes
• We regularly ask for verifiable chain of custody documents (legal logging certifications) before buying wood products: Yes
• We are eliminating unsustainable virgin materials from our product offerings while increasing our percents to total of rapidly renewable resources, reused/reclaimed components and recycled content. We factor disassembly, recyclability and product reclamation into buying decisions: Yes
• We have decreased our use/acceptance of known toxic chemicals for treatments, binders and finishes, replacing compounds that harm indoor air quality and are carcinogenic: Yes
• We are asking our vendors for organic cotton in place of conventionally-grown cotton and for textiles that are Oeko-Tex certified: No
• We are getting quotes on doing a Life Cycle Analysis and/or are applying for SMaRT certification: No
• We extract, manufacture and distribute for consumer use within a 500 mile radius for at least a portion of our product line: Yes
• We offer a product reclamation/product reuse policy: No
• We use recycled or recyclable packing/packaging materials, offer blanket-wrap transportation arrangements for customers and have a carton return/reuse policy: Yes
• We hold third party certifications for some of our products/as a store, we promote and educate the consumer on the meaning of various third party certifications: No
• We take responsibility for sharing our commitment to sustainability up and down our entire supply chain, rewarding our vendors with increased business for partnering with us on this path to sustainability: Yes
• We save reams of paper with our policy expressing an aversion to excess written documentation: Yes
• We have had an energy specialist/utility company audit to measure our conventional energy usage and are on track to reduce it, replacing a portion with certified renewable energy, either directly or by contacting Green e-Power: Yes
• We have replaced outdated and inefficient equipment, identified and changed wasteful resource procedures and implemented tighter operational controls: Yes
• We have increased the use of daylighting and instituted a fluorescent bulb exchange policy for direct cost savings: Yes
• We make only verifiable sustainability claims in adherence with FTC mandates against greenwash and in support of their Environmental Marketing Guides. Authenticity and adoption of one credible standard reduces confusion in the marketplace, driving sales: Yes
• We conduct training in-house and in the broader community about global climate change and our partnership with the SFC: Yes
• In keeping with our commitment to continual improvement, we are planning to take the following actions this year: On energy consumption: <p>2009: We have just about exhausted improvements in this area. We will continue to specify Energy Star or premium effeciency motors upon replacement. We will increase A/C service intervals to improve efficiency. </p> <p>For 2008 we will complete the lighting efficiency project started in late December. We should finish the project by mid March. The savings in energy and other benefits are estimated by third parties to be: 70,382 kw/h and a reduction of 106,000 pounds of carbon dioxide. Also for 2008 we are working on a policy of using 30 to 50% of our lighting during shop break times. This could save an additional 5-6% if it proves practical.</p>
• In keeping with our commitment to continual improvement, we are planning to take the following actions this year: On how we will manage our primary material or service to a more sustainable direction: <p>2009: We will continue to work with our wood suppliers on issues of sourcing, recycled content, formaldehyde emmissions and labeling.</p> <p>2008: We will study our wood sources and try to confirm sustainable options. One thing we hope to implement in 2008 is to resource our raw MDF that currently comes from Canada to a source in southern Oregon. This would save transportation. We also plan to resource the material we use for backs to find a more sustainable option. Another goal we have that is not as much a sustainable issue as a health issue, is to continue to reduce indoor formaldehyde emissions from our wood.</p>
• In keeping with our commitment to continual improvement, we are planning to take the following actions this year: On education and promotion of the sustainability cause: <p>2009: We plan to increase customer awareness by providing our written "green story" to keep with their Creative Elegance catalog.</p> <p>2008: We have added, and will continue to add, information and links to our web site educating and promoting these issues to customers, vendors and the public. We will also do this in marketing materials and ads. We are working with the California Furniture Manufactures Association to host an educational seminar on sustainable furniture for its members and have interest from the SFC to participate. We are also educating and promoting these concepts to our employees and friends.</p>