Herman Miller, a member of MillerKnoll’s collective of brands, was named a Frontrunner and Disclosure Leader in the Chemical Footprint Project (CFP), by Clean Production Action in December 2022 for its work in 2021. The CFP is the first-of-its-kind initiative to measure chemical footprints and assess business progress away from hazardous chemicals to safer solutions.
“We believe that safe chemistry is a requirement for any sustainable product,” said Gabe Wing, Vice President of Sustainability at MillerKnoll. “We work with our suppliers to maintain a database of thousands of chemicals that have been eco-profiled and reviewed by chemical engineers to ensure we’ve made the best choice possible for people and the environment.”
This continued progress with chemical transparency helps contribute to the MillerKnoll collective’s 2030 sustainability goals, which focus on working with global partners and brands to reduce carbon footprint, design out waste, and source better materials. Herman Miller has been reporting to CFP since 2016. This is its second year as a Frontrunner and reflects the data and progress prior to the acquisition of Knoll. The company will look to expand its reporting scope as MillerKnoll moving forward.
This year’s CFP Frontrunners are Beautycounter, Case Medical, Herman Miller, HP, Insignem, Naturepedic, and Reckitt. These companies are committed to minimizing their chemical footprints and integrating criteria for safer alternatives into their design and safety processes.
“Frontrunners repeatedly participate in the CFP Survey, which confirms the value of the tool as a framework for cultivating leadership and continuous improvement in chemical safety,” stated Dr. Mark S. Rossi, Executive Director of Clean Production Action. “These companies are future-proofing themselves from increasing regulations and consumer demands for safer chemicals.”
The CFP report also recognized companies that overcame the challenges of publicly sharing their chemicals management approaches by disclosing both their Survey responses and score on the CFP website. The ten Disclosure Leaders from the 2021 Survey were Beautycounter, BD, Case Medical, GOJO, Grove Collaborative, Herman Miller, HP, Insignem, Naturepedic, and Walmart.
“Very few companies publicly disclose how they manage chemicals beyond legal requirements, but investors, customers, and governments increasingly ask companies to disclose how they manage chemical risks. In addition, consumers want information about how companies reduce their use of hazardous chemicals,” stated Rossi. “That is why we highlight Disclosure Leaders to support this much-needed trend for increased transparency and acknowledge the efforts these companies are making.”
Download the report and read the full press release from Chemical Footprint Project at https://www.chemicalfootprint.org.