Healthy Business Strategies - Clean Production Action

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Award from the 2004 Industrial Design Excellence Awards (IDEA). The model of product design developed for the Mirra is being extended to other products. Most notable is “Kira,” a proprietary office panel fabric made from 100 percent renewable, bio-based fiber derived from the plant sugars of corn (see Interface case study). The 2004 launch of Kira netted Herman Miller another Gold Award at NeoCon. Since DePree set Herman Miller on the path to environmental stewardship in the 1950s, senior management support for the environment remains high. On the DfE side, Herman Miller has committed to using the DfE product assessment tool for evaluating all future products and for re-examining existing product lines. A challenge goal set by President and CEO Brian Walker is that 50 percent of all sales in 2010 must be from products that meet the DfE protocol, including: • Contain no “red” materials — i.e., contain no highly hazardous chemicals. • Are easily disassembled. • Maximize recycled content and recyclability of materials. • Contain no PvC. Sixty years after the first Eames chair, Herman Miller is still redefining the terrain of competition, this time with quality design that meets demanding environmental specifications. healthy business strategies for transforming the toxic chemical economy
Avalon natural Products: consciousness in cosmetics Since its founding in 1989, Californiabased Avalon Natural Products has been a leader in making cosmetics from natural and organic ingredients. Avalon sells mainly in the organic and natural foods market, through stores such as Whole Foods and Wild Oats, but is seeing increased interest from mainstream retailers who wish to attract the growing numbers of healthconscious consumers. The company initially developed two major lines of cosmetic products — Avalon Organics, using a high proportion of organic ingredients, and Alba, with exotic fragrances that can’t be fully achieved with organic ingredients. And in 2006, Avalon introduced a complete line of safe, hypoallergenic baby products. In spite of Avalon’s commitment to natural and organic ingredients, the company still used several industry-standard chemical preservatives and surfactants at the time the founders sold Avalon in 2002 to North Castle Partners (an investment firm specializing in “healthy living” companies). The sale, and the formation of a new management team over the next 18 months, coincided with a series of events that drew increased attention to the risks of toxic chemicals in cosmetics. europe Bans Use of Toxic chemicals in cosmetics In 2004, the European union (Eu) banned the use of over 1,100 carcinogens and reproductive toxics in cosmetic products. The cosmetics industry in Europe argued unsuccessfully that the bans would be costly because of the expense of reformulating products and unnecessary, since the amounts of these chemicals in any single cosmetic product were minuscule. In the u.S., which lacks similar legal F O u R Case Studies in Transforming the Toxic Chemical Economy AVALon nATURAL PRoDUcTs Avalon Natural Products sells environmental and health cosmetics primarily through health food stores such as Whole Foods and Wild Oats. • Founded in 1989 by Mark and Stacey Egide • Based in Petaluma, California, employs 50 people • $90 million annual retail sales • 2004–2005 sales growth rate of over 20% healthy business strategies for transforming the toxic chemical economy
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