As disposal costs and landfill taxes spiral ever upwards, it is important to consider the full life cost of furniture. Cheap ranges have little or no reusable components and are not robust enough for the significant churn demands of the modern workplace.

By contrast, free-standing, steel-framed furniture can provide maximum scope for reconfiguration and reuse. The best ranges offer fully modular componentry, offering many years of use and reuse.

We also recommend the use of FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) work surfaces to minimise the environmental impact of the inevitable worktop changes over the life of the frames.

Looking at office seating manufacturers, the environmental credentials contrast between a very small number of proactive companies and “the rest”. For generic seating products, much remains in the hands of the R & D departments of the foam and plastics manufacturers but we are led to believe that bio-plastics may be viable in the not-too-distant future.

Of the proactive manufacturers, RH Form (Sweden) now offers a 100% recyclable chair which includes biogradable seat and back cushions incorporating horse and pig hair and BMA Ergonomics (Netherlands) has a reworking station where it is reprocessing chairs at the end of their life. Click here for BMA's Environmental Impact Report.

These developments and the growth of cradle-to-cradle design ensure that disposal costs are minimised or eliminated, a major consideration when making a purchase.

There is also empirical evidence that employers adopting such products alongside strong sustainability policies engender greater commitment from their staff, reducing recruitment costs.

The sound ergonomics which many of these products offer also impacts on performance, productivity and reduced sickness absence.

Finally, a word about carbon offsets. We are very cautious about these instruments, regarding them as a short-term solution and only acceptable if practised with a simultaneous commitment to reduce carbon emissions. Whilst some manufacturers use carbon offsets with the best intentions, others utilise them simply as a cynical marketing ploy. As long as there is no accepted standard for measuring a “carbon footprint”, we are not quite sure what being “carbon neutral” actually means!