Products first  

We create innovative products with reduced environmental impacts.  

At Steelcase, we apply our eco-design expertise to create innovative products with reduced environmental impacts. For us, "designing for the environment" covers 3 strategic initiatives key to our continuous improvement commitment.

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Develop products that are safe for people and the environment

Our products are made of safe, healthy, and sustainable materials, thanks to an in-depth materials chemistry analysis. Materials Chemistry carefully examines the chemical makeup of products and production processes – at the molecular level – and evaluates those chemicals against 19 human and environmental health criteria

Ensure a reduced environmental impact

The environmental impact of our products is minimized thanks to a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). This process measures a product impact on the environment during its various phases, from material extraction to the end of the product usefulness.

In 2000, Steelcase Europe was the 1st company in our industry to apply a systematic life cycle thinking when designing products. At each phase, the LCA measures the quantity of energy & resources needed, as well as the impacts on air, water and soil.

Create the conditions for a second life

Our products are designed for disassembly to facilitate recycling. They come along with an offer of special services that extend product life or enable responsible disposal. We thus create the conditions for recycling and reusing products or materials.

Cradle to Cradle principles

Our work on these 3 strategic initiatives is in line with the Cradle to Cradle  (C2C) principles: our products are designed for easy recovery and reuse of materials. In the C2C concept, when a product is at the end of its useful life, it can be reused or recycled to become a resource for a new product.