Metro and Steelcase Use Environmentally-Friendly Fabric to Eliminate the Use of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Feb. 2/ -- Metro and its parent company, Steelcase Inc. (NYSE:SCS), a global office environments manufacturer, announced today that they have eliminated the use of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) in the Topo(TM) scrims and modesty screens manufactured by Metro. Topo is a flexible furniture system designed for both open-plan and private offices.
Topo modesty screens and translucent space division components, known as scrims, now feature an environmentally friendly, PVC-free fabric that is completely recyclable, contains no Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and produces no off-gassing.
"The use of this fabric is an important part of Metro's and Steelcase's strategy to find viable alternatives to materials that include PVC," said Kevin Owens, director of product applications and environmental strategy, Metro. "Our ultimate goal is to create products that minimize or eliminate any long-term impact on the environment -- without sacrificing the caliber of design and refined execution for which we are renowned."
The new scrim fabric is an off-white mesh material that, when installed, is visually similar to the existing scrims. Topo modesty screens for work surfaces feature a dark gray version that matches the existing screens. Pricing for both products will remain the same.
"Last year Steelcase announced its plan to be PVC-free by its 100th anniversary in 2012 and this initiative brings us another step closer to that goal," said Allan Smith, director of environmental strategy at Steelcase. "In addition to working with our suppliers to find environmentally-friendly alternatives, Steelcase has also made the commitment to eliminate PVC from all future products. This is a shared promise with many of our partner companies, including Metro."
About Metro
Metro brings life to work by creating refined, modern furniture that improves the experience of life at work -- through award-winning concepts pioneered by our observations, intuition and research. Our comprehensive portfolio emphasizes collaboration and provides high performance worksettings for individuals & teams in meeting spaces, private offices and the open plan. We produce premium furniture with a blend of modern precision, an age-old sense of craft, and a dedication to environmental stewardship. Our factory and corporate headquarters is located in Oakland, California, and we have showrooms across the country in Chicago, Santa Monica, New York and Grand Rapids. Founded in 1905, Metro celebrated its centennial anniversary last year. Metro is a Steelcase Company. To learn more, visit us at www.metrofurniture.com.
About Steelcase Inc.
Steelcase, the global leader in the office furniture industry, helps people have a better work experience by providing products, services and insights into the ways people work. The company designs and manufactures architecture, furniture and technology products. Founded in 1912 and headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Steelcase (NYSE:SCS) serves customers through a network of more than 800 independent dealers and approximately 14,000 employees worldwide. Fiscal 2005 revenue was $2.6 billion. Learn more at www.steelcase.com.
Source: Steelcase Inc.
CONTACT: Sara Whitman, +1-212-931-6121, or swhitman@peppercom.com , for
Steelcase Inc.
Web site: www.steelcase.com/
http://www.metrofurniture.com/
