How to create a better office environment with furniture, supplies, and products

This morning Steelcase Inc., a global office environments manufacturer, introduced Clarity. Not Clarity of thought for the office as some of us might be hoping for but the new Clarity wood finish for office furniture. 

Clarity is an earth friendly water-borne wood finish applied using environmentally friendly processes that are healthier for humans and the planet. 

The benefits of Clarity are many, including:

• More durability than solvent finishes.
• Indoor Advantaged certified for good indoor air quality. 
• Decreased hazardous waste during the manufacturing process.

The new finish also allows for topcoat repairs - a huge bonus in a large office space with lots of traffic. Repairs to office furniture can help to cut costs but if you can't repair the topcoat you're sunk. 

Additionally, Steelcase products are manufactured in the first LEED certified facility in the U.S.!

LEED, or the US Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design have tough standards to crack. Products and the factory must meet low-emitting product criterion to be certified. The LEED plaque is proof that a building is environmentally responsible, profitable, and a healthy place to live and work.

What I like best about hearing that a company has created a new eco-friendly office solution is that I always hope it will inspire other companies to follow suit. Each new company that produces even one earth friendly workplace solution is a step in the right direction.