Steelcase Promotes Furniture Reuse and Partners with MBDC

Steelcase, Inc. has announced its Environmental Partnership Program, enabling companies to resell, refurbish, donate, or recycle used Steelcase office products through a network of recyclers, resellers, and nonprofit organizations. “Today, many companies are not sure what to do with their furniture when it reaches the end of its useful life to them, or when it no longer suits their organizations’ needs,” said David Rinard, director of environmental performance for Steelcase. “Steelcase is helping empower companies to improve their own environmental standards while minimizing the cost associated with making such decisions.” The program will be available beginning in the fall of 2004.

Just weeks after the creation of the Environmental Partnership Program, Steelcase announced a collaboration with McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC) to develop sustainable design strategies. The companies plan to optimize Steelcase’s current products according to MBDC’s cradle-to-cradle criteria (see