Press Release

RH Chairs, distributed in the United States by RGP Ergo of Bristol, Rhode Island, is now one of the first companies in its field to achieve certification in accordance with the Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) system. EPD is a global system aimed at meeting the growing demand from customers for better environmental information along with more and more sophisticated and stringent green certifications.

The International EPD system was launched in 2008 as a revision of other EPD systems that had been in place for almost a decade across a large number of countries. RH has moved quickly to gain the environmental certification, a testament to the already outstanding environmental standards of the firm.

RH were granted the certification following extensive independent verification by a third party verifier focusing on published research and data, plus other factors such as resource use, global warming potential and generation of waste. The verification is done according to ISO 14025. The EPD system aims to provide buyers with easily accessible, factual, comparable and verifiable information about the environmental performance of products and services.
The EPD certification has been achieved across all of RH’s core products including the RH Ambio, RH Extend and RH Logic 400, which are the first office chairs to receive pre-certification according to the International EPD System.

– It has been important for us to move quickly. The new EPD aims to make it easy for buyers to understand the real environmental impact of their procurement decisions and we welcome the sophistication of the EPD system in meeting this objective. We were able to move so quickly to achieve EPD certification because we have always taken a sophisticated approach to environmental issues in both the design and manufacture of our products and indeed in every aspect of our operations. Our progressive approach in going way beyond what is the minimum required of us has not only helped us to flourish as a business, but means we are the best placed firm of our kind to meet new standards and certifications as they develop, says Jorgen Josefsson, RH Chairs spokesperson.

– An EPD is based on a Life Cycle Assessment from cradle to grave and maps all relevant environmental aspects from a life-cycle perspective. What this provides us with is reliable and up to date knowledge which can be used in many ways to sharpen our competitive edge. For example, it can provide input to our eco-design, product development work and supply-chain. EPDs can also be a useful tool in green purchasing because they include all sorts of information including content of hazardous substances, information about disassembly and recycling of used products, says Christina Nordin, Vice President Quality, and Scandinavian Business Seating & Environmental Manager RH.


- Responsible consumption can be encouraged by good design , says co-owner ofRH distributor RGP Ergo, Dave Solomon; RH products last longer because of good design and quality manufacture. Our chairs are manufactured to easily change upholstery or padding, and no glue is used in the process. Buying an RH chair will save you money in the long-run, and ultimately be better environmentally.