ZEELAND,
Mich., Sept. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today,
Herman Miller (NASDAQ;MLHR) announced that its entire portfolio of
Aeron Chairs will contain ocean-bound plastic, including a new
color, Onyx Ultra Matte, which contains up to 2.5 pounds (1.13 kg)
of mismanaged plastic waste found near waterways per chair. These
material changes in the Aeron Portfolio are projected to save the
ocean from over 150 tons of plastic annually—equal to
approximately 15 million single-use plastic water
bottles1.
The updates are part of Herman Miller's membership in NextWave
Plastics, its ongoing commitment to sustainability, and long-term
goal to increase recycled content to at least 50 percent including
the use of ocean-bound plastic across all material the company uses
by 2030.
Aeron is the latest in a growing list of products Herman Miller
has reengineered using ocean-bound plastic. The effort also
includes parts of the recently launched OE1 Workplace Collection,
the Sayl Chair in Europe, utility
trays as part of pedestal units, and its latest textile collection,
Revenio, which is made of 100 percent recycled materials and
includes a biodegradable polyester. The company is also reducing
its footprint by adding ocean-bound plastic to returnable shipping
crates that send seating parts to and from suppliers and poly bags
used to keep products safe during transit
"Every year, an estimated eight million tons of plastic enter
the ocean. This is roughly equivalent to dumping a garbage truck
full of plastic into the ocean every minute," said Gabe Wing, Herman Miller's Director of
Sustainability. "We joined NextWave to play an active role in
taking on the ocean plastic problem and cast a wide net for
opportunities to incorporate ocean-bound plastic across our global
operations. We're proud of the progress we've already made with
packaging and textiles and are eager to continue doing our part in
preventing harmful plastic from reaching our oceans by adding it to
the iconic Aeron Chair."
By integrating ocean-bound plastic into all these products and
packaging solutions, Herman Miller estimates it will divert up to
234 metric tons of plastic from the ocean annually, equal to
preventing close to 400,000 milk jugs or up to 23 million plastic
bottles from entering the ocean annually1.
Ocean-bound plastic is plastic material that has not yet found
its way into the ocean and is classified as "mismanaged waste."
This is plastic that is not being collected, is unlikely to be
collected, and is found within 50 kilometers of a coastline. Common
examples of ocean-bound plastic include plastic bottles, jugs,
caps, and fishing gear.
When plastic waste builds up in coastal cities, suppliers work
with local pickers to collect the plastic. Once collected, the
material is ground, washed, and pelletized. From there, it is sold
to manufacturers who test and re-engineer the plastic to
incorporate into products.
"On our current trajectory we are at risk of tripling the rate
of new plastic entering the ocean every year. A critical strategy
to disrupt that path is to demonstrate the value of ocean-bound
plastic. In bringing the Aeron Chair made with ocean-bound plastic
to market, Herman Miller is not only proving the commercial value
of the material, but showcasing the power of collective action in
developing ocean-bound plastic supply chains," said Dune Ives, CEO
of Lonely Whale. "Herman Miller, and all members of the NextWave
Plastics consortium, are taking the necessary action - today - to
make a positive impact for the ocean and for us all."
The plastic used in Aeron is currently sourced from India and Indonesia, which are two of many locations
where Herman Miller and other NextWave member companies are
creating demand and establishing a supply chain for this material.
By sourcing ocean-bound plastic from these areas, the companies are
making both economic and social impact by supporting local
communities and employing individuals who make a living collecting
mismanaged waste near the shoreline.
"We're doing more than making an environmental impact," said
Bob Teasley, Director of Supply
Management at Herman Miller. "By working with coastal communities
around the world to harvest ocean-bound plastic, we're increasing
demand, creating jobs, and boosting economies."
Making the best, better for Earth
We
advanced the Aeron Chair, adding ocean-bound plastic to the
body—all without compromising what makes it the best work chair on
Earth.
Aeron's legacy of sustainability and innovation continues to
evolve since its introduction nearly 30 years ago. Designed by
Bill Stumpf and Don Chadwick in 1994 and remastered in 2016, it
first proved pioneering in both ergonomics and material innovation,
without relying on the standard use of foam, fabric, or leather
found in most office chairs at the time.
The Aeron Chair is Herman Miller's top selling seating solution
and has received a variety of awards and recognition including the
Good Design Award (GDA) from the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of
Architecture and Design, FIRA (Furniture Industry Research
Association) award, the IDSA Designs of the Decade award, and is
part of the permanent collection of MOMA. It was also the company's
first product to receive the industry-leading Cradle to Cradle V3
Silver Level certification, assessed on environmental and social
performance.
Depending on configuration, the ocean-bound plastic in Aeron can
be found in the frame and tilt covers of the chair and contains
between 0.5 and 2.5 pounds (226.8 g and 1.13 kg) of the material
per chair, equivalent to approximately 23 to 114 plastic water
bottles. The new Onyx Ultra Matte colorway contains the highest
amount of ocean-bound plastic at almost 2.5 pounds (1.13 kg) per
chair. All chairs within the Aeron Portfolio are up to 90 percent
recyclable3 and composed of over 50 percent recycled
content2.
Aeron is available in a palette of four material expressions
centered on elements pulled from the Earth. Onyx is a dramatic
ultra-black shade intended to modernize Aeron. Graphite is a
distinctive dark gray, with a classic textured finish. Carbon
offers a balanced neutral that works equally well in warm and cool
environments. Mineral is the lightest and illuminates Aeron's finer
points, ideal for open floorplans and spaces. Each component of the
chair was thoughtfully designed, creating a fundamentally
harmonious color palette.
Aeron's new Onyx Ultra Matte colorway will be available to order
in North America starting in
September 2021. All Aeron colors and
configurations will be updated to contain ocean-bound plastic and
will be available to order soon globally. Other use-cases with
ocean-bound plastic including OE1, packaging, and the Revenio
textile collection are in production now.
Related Links
hermanmiller.com/aeron
hermanmiller.com/sustainability
hermanmiller.com/ocean-bound-plastic
nextwaveplastics.org
1 Based on annual sales forecast
2 Based on top selling global model
3 Based on available recycling facilities
About Herman Miller
Herman Miller is a globally
recognized leader in design. Since its inception in 1905, the
company's innovative, problem-solving designs and furnishings have
inspired the best in people wherever they live, work, learn, heal,
and play. In 2018, Herman Miller created Herman Miller Group, a
purposefully selected, complementary family of brands that includes
Colebrook Bosson Saunders, DWR, Geiger, HAY, Maars Living Walls,
Maharam, naughtone, and Nemschoff. Guided by a shared
purpose—design for the good of humankind—Herman Miller Group shapes
places that matter for customers while contributing to a more
equitable and sustainable future for all. For more information
visit www.hermanmiller.com/about-us.
About NextWave Plastics
NextWave Plastics is an
industry-led, open-source collaboration among leading technology
companies and consumer brands to develop the first global network
of ocean-bound plastics supply chains. Convened by Lonely Whale,
this consortium aims to keep plastic in our economy and out of the
ocean and has committed to preventing 25,000 tons of plastic waste
from entering the oceans by 2025 across countries most impacted by
plastic pollution. Members include Dell Technologies, Bureo, CPI
Card Group, Herman Miller, HP Inc, Humanscale, IKEA, Interface,
Solgaard, and Trek Bicycle. In 2021, NextWave was awarded the top
honors at the United Nations SDG Action Awards, which recognize
organizations from around the world who are mobilizing, inspiring
and connecting individuals to make positive change for people and
the planet. To learn more, visit www.nextwaveplastics.org, follow
along on Twitter at @NxtWavePlastics, or connect on
LinkedIn.
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SOURCE Herman Miller, Inc.