UL has announced it is an accredited independent third-party certification body in accordance to FEMB level, the European program for sustainability certification of office and contract furniture in interiors. Through FEMB level, UL can now help European manufacturers demonstrate product sustainability while enabling end-users to make more informed sustainable product selections.
Similar to the BIFMA LEVEL Certification program, Europe's level Certification evaluates the environmental and social sustainability of office furniture products, but is tailored to the European market. The program provides a common European program and methodology to give end-users additional information to evaluate and make product comparisons based on sustainability features.
"UL is pleased to be a certification body for the FEMB level Certification program, which will help our customers meet their sustainable needs globally and comprehensively, and respond to the increasing demand for sustainable products" said Alberto Uggetti, vice president and general manager of UL's Environment division. "UL is already a certification body for BIFMA LEVEL certification in the U.S. and we are pleased to bring our expertise to the European market."
To achieve certification, UL evaluates the product, the facility or facilities that produce it, and the organization itself, to sustainability criteria in four impact areas including materials, energy & atmosphere, human & ecosystem health, and social responsibility.
In addition, products must meet minimum performance against prerequisites in each impact area plus a minimum number of additional credits in each area. The total number of points that a product achieves will result in certification for one of the three levels:
level 1 - 32-44 points
level 2 - 45-62 points
level 3 - 63-94 points
FEMB level Certification benefits both manufacturers and end-users by helping to simplify decision making and sustainable product selection. Europe has multiple office furniture sustainability standards, which can be costly for manufacturers looking to enter multiple markets, and confusing for end-users who select and compare products. FEMB level enables users to evaluate products to one comprehensive sustainability standard.
A distinct advantage of partnering with UL for level certification is that all level certified products will be available in UL's SPOT™ database, the largest and most credible digital platform for sustainable products globally.
In addition, manufacturers can benefit from UL's long and trusted expertise in sustainable certification programs and eco-labels, and a dedicated global furniture team that delivers exceptional support.