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Furniture standards V3.0

IMPACT AREA MANDATORY
Wood and Wood-based materials Timber must be purchased in accordance with UK timber procurement policy.  Only timber and timber products originating either from independently verified legal and sustainable sources or from a licensed Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (FLEGT) partner can be purchased (from April 2015, only sustainably produced timber will be purchased).  As an alternative, contracting authorities can demand recycled timber.
Verification: Evidence that the products supplied comply with the UK government’s timber procurement policy.  This evidence should cover both the source of the timber (chain of custody) and proof that it is legally and sustainably managed or FLEGT-licensed. This evidence can come in two forms: Category A or Category B(i).
Plastic Parts Plastic parts ≥ 50g shall be marked for recycling according to ISO 11469 or equivalent and must not contain additions of other materials that may hinder their recycling.  Parts greater than 50g in weight that would be adversely affected by a marking, such as for consumer acceptance and aesthetic reasons, may place the necessary recycling information in the user manual or similar literature.
Surface coating of wood, plastic and/or metal parts The products used for surface coating shall:

  • Not contain hazardous substances (in the final furniture product) that are classified according to Directive 1999/45/EC as carcinogenic (R40, R45, R49), harmful to the reproductive system (R60, R61, R62, R63), mutagenic (R46, R68), toxic (R23, R24, R25, R26, R27, R28, R51), allergenic when inhaled (R42) or harmful to the environment (R50, R50/53, R51/53, R52, R52/53, R53), cause heritable genetic damage (R46), danger of serious damage to health by prolonged exposure (R48), possible risks of irreversible effects (R68);
  • Formaldehyde emissions from agents for surface treatment liberating formaldehyde must be less than 0.1ppm formaldehyde in the final product;
  • For phthalates: no use is allowed of phthalates that at the time of application fulfil the classification criteria of any of the following risk phrases (or combinations thereof): R60, R61, R62, in accordance with Directive 67/548/EEC and its amendments;
  • Not contain aziridine; and
  • Not contain Chromium (VI) compounds.

Verification: Bidders must present a list with all surface treatment substances used for each material present in the furniture and their Material Safety Data Sheet or equivalent documentation demonstrating compliance with the above criteria. Furniture carrying a type I ecolabel will be deemed to comply.
Adhesives and glues The VOC content of adhesives used in the assembly of furniture shall not exceed 10% by weight.
Verification: Bidders must present a list with all adhesives used in the assembly of furniture and their Material Safety Data Sheets or equivalent documentation where the amount of VOCs is displayed demonstrating compliance with the above criteria. Furniture carrying a type I ecolabel fulfilling will be deemed to comply.
Formaldehyde in panels The emissions of free formaldehyde from wood-based panels shall not exceed the E1 emissions limit as described in standard BS EN 13986: 2004 Wood-based panels for use in construction (referring to BS EN 312: 2003 Particleboards Specifications and BS EN 622-1 2003 Fibreboards Specifications for MDF).
Verification: Suitable evidence, such as test reports, shall be supplied demonstrating compliance with this criterion and the standards quoted.
Textile materials The products shall comply with the Government Buying Standards mandatory criteria for textiles.
Verification: All products carrying the EU Ecolabel for textiles or a national or private label fulfilling the listed criteria will be deemed to comply. Any other appropriate means of proof, such as a technical dossier of the manufacturer or a test report from a recognised body will also be accepted.
Durability, reparability, fitness for use and ergonomics 1. Furniture must meet the relevant UK technical and quality standards, or equivalent, for serviceability (e.g. safety, abrasion resistance, tensile strength, light fastness, rub fastness, deformation by compression, ergonomics), as given in FIRA’s “Technical Requirements for Furniture” document, October 2011.   This covers both material-specific and furniture item-specific requirements and testing methods.

2. Components and spare parts will be made available by the supplier for at least 5 years after sale to extend the product’s lifetime through repair, as far as reasonably practical.
Verification:  Bidders must provide appropriate documentation to demonstrate compliance with these standards.

3. The tenderer should demonstrate that their product has been eco-designed to enable easy repair: plus disassembly for recycling and, preferably, for reuse, in part or whole.
Verification: Bidders must provide technical documentation that demonstrates that their product can be disassembled, thereby allowing for recycling and for some or all of the components to be reused in other applications.
Packaging materials Packaging must consist of readily recyclable material, and/or materials taken from renewable resources, or be a multi-use system, i.e. reusable.  All packaging materials shall be easily separable by hand into recyclable parts consisting of one material (e.g. cardboard, paper, plastic, textile).
Verification: A description of the product packaging shall be provided together with a corresponding declaration of compliance with these criteria.  Proof should be provided in compliance with BS EN 13430 on recyclability or BS EN 13429 on reusability, or equivalent.
Explanatory note It is proposed that from 1 April 2011 government departments and their agencies are encouraged to meet at least 5% of the office furniture and 10% of the domestic/residential items through reuse/refurbish/re-upholster of their current furniture stock.  The intention is to increase this level over time (for example; 5% by 2011, 10% by 2015, etc).
IMPACT AREA BEST PRACTICE
Wood and Wood-based materials Best practice criteria are under development. In the meantime you may wish to consult the EU Green Public Procurement comprehensive criteria (PDF) (see pages 7 to 9)
Plastic Parts Same as the mandatory standard
Surface coating of wood, plastic and/or metal parts Same as the mandatory standard
Adhesives and glues Same as the mandatory standard
Formaldehyde in panels Same as the mandatory standard
Textile materials Same as the mandatory standard
Durability, reparability, fitness for use and ergonomics Same as the mandatory standard
Packaging materials Same as the mandatory standard
Preservatives (for outdoor-furniture only) Wood classified with a durability class of 1 or 2 according to EN 350-2 or equivalent must not have been treated with preservatives.  Wood not classified with a durability class of 1 or 2 according to EN 350-2 or equivalent, must not have been treated with substances classified according to Directive 1999/45/EC as carcinogenic (R40, R45, R49), harmful to the reproductive system (R60, R61, R62, R63), mutagenic (R46, R68) or allergenic when inhaled (R42).  The active substances in preservatives must not be based on arsenic, chrome or organic tin compounds.
Verification: Bidders must present the durability classification of the timber products together with a list of the preservation substances used for each material present in the furniture and their Safety Data Sheet or equivalent documentation demonstrating compliance with the above criteria. Products carrying a type I ecolabel fulfilling the listed criteria will be deemed to comply.
Polyurethane foams The blowing agents of polyurethane foams (PUR-foams) must not be HFC or methylene chloride.
Verification: Bidders must present a declaration by the foam manufacturer of compliance with this criterion.

Notes to minimum mandatory specification: (i). Category A evidence is independent certification of the timber and timber products by any of the forest certification schemes that meet the policy requirements (such as FSC and PEFC). Category B evidence is alternative documentary evidence that provides assurance that the source is legal and sustainable. See the CPET website: http://www.proforest.net/cpet/evidence-of-compliance.

IMPACT AREA MANDATORY AWARD CRITERIA
Product materials 1. The tenderer should indicate the percentage by weight of recycled content and/or remanufactured and reused components of wood-based materials, plastics and/or metals in the final piece of furniture.
Verification: Bidders must provide appropriate documentation where the recycled content percentage by weight is stated.

2. The tenderer should demonstrate that they have a take-back scheme for repairing and re-manufacturing products or recycling for products that have reached the end of their useful lives.
Verification:  Bidders must provide appropriate documentation to demonstrate compliance with these standards. Note, for mattresses this only applies in terms of recycling, not repairing or remanufacturing.
Padding materials and mattresses Products that contain padding materials shall comply with theEU Ecolabel criteria.
However, for Flame retardants (FR) used in foams and mattresses, both additive and reactive FR are permissible for use in Government Buying Standards.
Verification: All products carrying the EU Ecolabel or a national or private label fulfilling the listed criteria will be deemed to comply. Any other appropriate means of proof, such as a technical dossier of the manufacturer or a test report from a recognised body will also be accepted. Suppliers shall ensure compliance with UK flammability legislation.
Packaging materials 1. The tenderer should indicate the percentage by weight of recycled content in the packaging materials (plastics and cardboard).
Verification: Bidders must provide a list of the different packaging materials, their weight and a declaration by the packaging producer/s where it states the % of recycled content in their packaging material.

2. The tenderer should demonstrate that their packaging system is designed to be reused for its original purpose
Verification: Bidders must provide evidence in accordance with BS EN 13429, or equivalent.  This states that the packaging should be able to do a number of trips under normal conditions of use without suffering significant damage upon loading and unloading and a system supporting packaging reuse is available.  The packaging can be cleaned, washed and repaired as necessary and still be able to perform its intended function without any risk to the health or safety of those doing so.

3. The tenderer should demonstrate that the packaging material is clearly marked to aid recycling and disposal.
Verification:  Bidders must provide evidence that they subscribe to The On-Pack Recycling Label Scheme and that they use to appropriate sanctioned logos on their packaging.
Surface coating of wood, plastic and/or metal parts The products used for surface coating shall:
Not contain more than 5% by weight of volatile organic compounds (VOCs);

To be reviewed in 2-3 years with the aim of making a mandatory criteria
IMPACT AREA BEST PRACTICE
Product materials Same as the minimum criteria
Padding materials and mattresses Same as the minimum criteria
Packaging materials Same as the minimum criteria
Surface coating of wood, plastic and/or metal parts Same as the minimum criteria
Textile materials Organically produced cotton or other natural fibres used in textiles in furniture.

Bidders must indicate the proportion of cotton or other natural fibres used in the textiles by weight deriving from organic production. To be considered as such, the fibre must be produced according to Regulation (EC) No 834/2007.
Verification:  The supplier must provide evidence of the origin of the fibres used and the organic nature of their production, such as the EU organic logo or approved national logos for organic production.
Recycled fibres in textiles used in furniture Bidders must indicate the proportion of the textile by weight made from recycled fibres, i.e. fibres originating only from cuttings from textile and clothing manufacturers or from post-consumer waste (textile or otherwise).
Verification:  The supplier must provide evidence of the origin of the recycled fibres used.

Notes to Award criteria: Award criteria are not mandatory in the way the technical specifications are, but are additional criteria on which a contracting authority will base its award decision. As such, they are not pass/fall criteria, meaning that offers of products that don’t comply with them may still be withheld for the final decision, depending on their score on other award criteria, including the price. To stimulate further market uptake of ever improved environmental products, award criteria should be considered depending on the specific circumstances of each case.

Contracting authorities will have to indicate in the contract notice and tender documents how many additional points will be awarded for each award criterion. Environmental award criteria should, altogether, account for at least 10 to 15 % of the total points available.  Where the award criterion is formulated in terms of “better performance as compared to the minimum requirements included in the technical specifications”, points will be awarded in proportion to the improved performance.

From April 2015, only sustainably produced timber will be purchased

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Page last modified: 21 October, 2011