This philosophy has been embraced by Humanscale®, a leading international designer and manufacturer of ergonomics products and Formfunc, their exclusive distributor and dealer-partner in southern Africa.
Director and co-founder of Formfunc, Kim Kowalski says this shared vision and philosophy is underscored by its participation in the Living Product Challenge (LPC), an initiative established by the International Living Institute™.
“The Living Product Challenge (LPC) provides a framework for manufacturers to create products that are healthy, inspirational and have a positive impact on our natural ecosystem,” says Kowalski. “In essence, the challenge to manufacturers is to produce goods that are healthy and free of toxins; are responsibly manufactured and produced; and have a net positive benefit for both people and the environment.”
This global initiative gives manufacturers and sustainability consulting companies access to certification that attests to their commitment to producing goods in a socially responsible manner and that offer net positive benefits for humans and the environment.
CREATING A NET POSITIVE IMPACT
Humanscale® is the first manufacturer across the globe – and in any industry, to achieve full Living Product Challenge certification for 26 of their products.
“We are extremely proud of this achievement as this gives our customers the assurances that the Humanscale® range has not only been sustainably designed, but responsibly manufactured using the ‘best in class’ materials’’, notes Kowalski.
LESS BAD IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH
The Living Product Label is a certification of authenticity as to the origin and make-up of the manufacturer’s product. To achieve full product certification under the Living Product Label, manufacturers have to meet specific criteria.
This standards framework is organised into seven performance areas, called Petals. Each performance area, or Petal has additional detailed requirements called Imperatives. When a product meets each Imperative for every Petal, a product can be Living Product Certified.
The Living Product Challenge is the first standard that is based upon the principles of full transparency to incorporate both Life Cycle Analysis and a material health evaluation classification for products that are net positive across their life cycles.
More information on the Living Products Challenge can be found at: https://living-future.org/lpc/certification/.
