Product Design and Recycling
Brodart designs products for optimal reusability and takes every opportunity to recycle or reuse waste materials generated by our operations. All wood waste from our facility is not landfilled, but is instead consumed by a secondary source. Waste cardboard and scrap metal are also 100% recycled, and packing materials consist of 35% recycled content.
Materials
Brodart furniture qualifies for LEED® points in the Materials & Resources category, which covers recycled content, regional materials, and certified wood. Brodart purchases most materials within a 500-mile radius of the workshop, and most of the lumber used to construct Brodart furniture is also supplied by vendors within a 500-mile radius. In addition, our suppliers harvest wood from the Forest Stewardship Council Lands, when available, which serve an essential function in providing renewable raw materials and energy. We also offer upon request, a core substrate made of alternative plywood that adheres to “green” construction guidelines, as opposed to the particleboard core that most manufacturers use.
Manufacturing
From start to finish, Brodart’s manufacturing practices are carried out with no undue environmental impact and are safe in their intended use. We adhere to all Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection rules and regulations, and in most cases far exceed their requirements. In accordance with the Indoor Environmental Quality LEED requirements, our powder coat finishing line for metal products is an environmentally friendly process with very low emissions and we utilize waterborne sealer and topcoat on our finishing when applicable. In addition, all flat stock furniture items are finished on a UV finishing system that is 100% emission free, and we use low Hazardous Air Pollutant (HAP) materials.
By implementing the above practices, Brodart aims to reduce our impact on and promote responsibility of the environment across all levels. As a pledge to our consumers and the environment alike, we promise to continually improve our manufacturing practices in order to protect and sustain our natural environment and its resources.