TOLEDO, OHIO—MTS Seating, a leading manufacturer of hospitality and banquet furniture, announced that its entire line of stack, banquet and restaurant seating has received Greenguard Indoor Air Quality Certification for being low-emitting, a characteristic which minimizes levels of indoor pollutants. According to MTS, it is the first to pursue and receive this designation in the hospitality seating industry.
“This certification shows that when we say we’re working toward making continual environmental improvements in our manufacturing processes, we mean it,” said MTS president Phil Swy. “For us, product innovation is a means to not only provide our customers with the stylish seating solutions they want, but also to be responsible to the world in which we live.”
To obtain Greenguard certification, products undergo rigorous, third-party testing to determine their impact on indoor air pollution with requirements for ongoing testing and verification. Certification confirms that a product has met Greenguard’s stringent health-risked based standard.
Many Manufacturers Participate
“Currently, more than 150 manufacturers voluntarily participate in the program, covering a range of more than 170,000 interior products, including all forms of building products and materials,” stated Dr. Marilyn Black, founder of Greenguard Environmental Institute. “MTS was the first manufacturer of hospitality seating to step up and work toward attaining certification. This shows their commitment to sustainability and public health.”
From Swy’s perspective, employing environmental controls is entrenched in the culture at MTS, stating, “You only have to look as far as our SynerGreen philosophy for proof of our leadership in this area. Our goal is not just to be ‘less bad,’ but to have a positive impact on the planet.”
In that regard, the facts are clearly in favor of the need for manufacturers to take a close look at the size of the environmental footprint they leave behind, both indoors and out. Statistics show that Americans spend 90 percent of their time indoors; yet, the air they breathe is often two to five times more polluted than what’s outside. A recent EPA report found that illnesses and lost productivity due to indoor air pollution, commonly called “sick building syndrome,” costs businesses up to $120 billion annually.
“By selecting products with low chemical emissions, we can reduce the release of airborne chemicals and contaminants, and thereby, improve indoor air quality,” Dr. Black said.
Go to MTS Seating and Greenguard.
