Important Classroom Furniture Considerations
By: Bob Roskos
Although there’s no universally accepted standard that rigidly defines “Green” classroom furniture, most people would agree that recyclability, recycled-content materials, and indoor air quality are important characteristics to consider.
Recyclability is an important Green attribute because it signifies how much of a product can be reprocessed and reused, rather than thrown away. For classroom furniture, recyclability can be determined by evaluating product components.
Classroom furniture typically consists of tubular steel frames; laminated particleboard or plywood work surfaces; plastic chair shells; or compression-molded hard plastic seats, backrests, and work surfaces.
Of these components, only the frames are readily recyclable in most communities, since scrap steel is a high-demand commodity. Because most recycling vendors won’t accept work surfaces, chair shells, and hard plastic, classroom furniture manufacturers that can recycle these components – through a take-back program, for example – make a highly significant Green statement.
Classroom furniture products made with recycled-content materials benefit the environment in two ways: by keeping these materials in active use instead of consigning them to a landfill; and by conserving depletable raw materials for other uses.
Recycled-content materials fall into two categories.
Post-industrial recycled-content materials are salvaged during the manufacturing or preparation processes of products.
Post-consumer recycled-content materials are reclaimed from end-users.
Although both types of recycled-content are desirable, post-consumer materials are generally preferred because they’re more likely to be landfilled if not reclaimed.
The most impressive recycled-content claim for classroom furniture relates to non-steel components, which rarely have any significant post-consumer materials. Manufacturers capable of including post-consumer recycled-content in seats, backrests, and work surfaces can make exceptionally Green classroom furniture with a long life cycle.
Few would argue that indoor air quality is a top priority for children and schools. Classroom furniture that meets an objective indoor air quality standard clearly has a Green advantage.
The GREENGUARD® Environmental Institute is recognized by educators, architects, designers, and other professionals as America’s leading independent indoor air quality standards developer. In September 2005, GREENGUARD issued a stringent indoor air quality standard for children and schools. Furniture certified according to this standard contributes to better indoor air quality.
Maintaining Your Classroom Furniture
In these days of tight budgets and rising expenses, it’s essential to cut costs and maximize resources wherever you can. That’s why it pays to have a proactive furniture maintenance program.
By keeping your Christian school’s desks, chairs, and related furniture items in good working order, you can help to prolong their functionality, enhance safety, and reduce the frequency of product replacement.
If you’re interested in starting or updating a furniture maintenance program, consider these suggestions:
1. Be sure to inspect and evaluate your furniture regularly.
Make a point of looking for broken welds, missing attachments, loose or missing screws and rivets, metal fatigue, cracks, loose staples and general instability. Furniture that’s damaged or appears unstable should be removed from service immediately and replaced or repaired; moreover, always notify your facility manager of these actions.
On a related note, repairs of any kind should only use parts and methods authorized by the furniture’s manufacturer.
2. Furniture should only be used for its intended purpose.
While this statement may appear to be obvious, experience testifies that people can be inclined to use certain items improperly. Accordingly, don't use furniture as a substitute work bench, stool, ladder, storage surface for heavy objects, or in any other inappropriate fashion. By following this recommendation, you'll help to avoid serious abuse that could result in unpleasant injuries or damaged furniture.
3. When dealing with furniture that has special wiring (i.e., computer furniture), make sure that wires and cables are installed, and inspected periodically, by qualified technicians.
Accessories such as wire management panels (which let you conveniently organize power and data cables beneath work surfaces) can promote enhanced functionality – and easier maintenance – of computer furniture.
4. Clean furniture as needed with manufacturer-specified materials.
By utilizing these basic guidelines, you’ll have a good framework for developing a general approach to furniture maintenance. If a more specific maintenance schedule appeals to you, be aware that many considerations should be taken into account. To that end, you may want to engage a professional consultant with expertise in this area.
Bob Roskos is the corporate copywriter for Virco, www.virco.com.
