Teknion Corporation has been recognized by the US Government’s General Services Administration (GSA) with its first Evergreen Award in the Furniture category, which acknowledges outstanding environmental practices and commitment to a sustainable future.
“The companies we honour today have done an outstanding job in making environmentally friendly options available to GSA client agencies. I thank them all for their commitment and expertise and for demonstrating that green products are a viable option for customers and businesses alike,” said GSA Deputy Administrator Barney Brasseux.
“We are very honoured to win an Evergreen Award as it reinforces Teknion’s commitment to the environment and our clients,” said Tracy Backus, Teknion’s National Manager of Sustainable Programs. “Although this award is a tribute to our sustainability efforts to date, we know that we must continue to constantly improve our manufacturing and delivery processes, while reducing our impacts on the planet.”
Sponsored by the GSA Integrated Workplace Acquisition Center, the Evergreen Awards recognize companies that demonstrate environmental conscientiousness with programs focused on recycling, affirmative procurement of supply and waste reduction. The award is granted to the government contractor that actively demonstrates the highest overall commitment to environmentally sound manufacturing and operating procedures in five categories: Waste Prevention, Recycling, Affirmative Procedure, Environmental Preferability and Model Facility.
Additionally, Teknion’s Synapse contemporary wooden side chair was honoured with a Bloom Award for its strong sustainable design. Synapse finished first in the Furniture category in the annual award sponsored by Interiors & Sources magazine in partnership with the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID).
Designed by Carl Gustav Magnusson for the contract, health-care, hospitality and library markets, Synapse is environmentally friendly. It is comprised of just five parts. All are replaceable or interchangeable, allowing quick and simple replacement of parts in the field. When shipped flat in a carton, the chair requires one-third less space, maximizing shipping and installation efficiencies, and assembling on the job site in under five minutes.
“I was first struck with the aesthetic simplicity of this entry. It has nice clean and simple lines and a slight curvilinear back. The chair also has a very good life cycle since many of the parts can be easily replaced,” commented Tim Schelfe, Bloom Awards judge and principal of Schelfe and Associates.
“By working with a variety of third-party certifiers, this manufacturer begins to address the full life-cycle impact of a chair and the manufacturing process. Teknion addresses the wood resource extraction by using FSC wood; simple assembly and disassembly by using minimal parts; using recycled content materials in the frame and fabric selection; and following strict guidelines in regards to emissions reduction from the chair itself and the overall manufacturing process,” noted Elaine Aye, principal of Green Building Services Inc., and a Bloom Awards judge.
Synapse is Greenguard Certified for indoor air quality and manufactured at facilities certified to the ISO 14001 environmental management system. Synapse meets BIFMA (The Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association) standards and CGSB (Canadian General Standards Board) testing standards.
“We are excited to be among the small circle of companies recognized with 2009 Bloom Awards, and equally pleased by this new initiative by Interiors & Sources and the ASID that encourages and celebrates sustainable design in our industry,” said David Feldberg, Teknion President and CEO.