GREEN BAY, WI - Contract furniture manufacturer KI said it continued to reduce its carbon footprint last year. The company quantified its progress to environmental sustainability in a newly released third annual Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) report.

In a companion video, Norman Nance, vice president of environmental iniatives, says KI has continued its efforts to better protect the environment and its employees by conserving natural resources and reducing waste, consumption and operating costs. Key among KI's recent iniatives have been to switch from solvent-based to water-based finish and adhesive systems

“Today, KI has clear sustainability objectives and metrics in place to ensure that it 'walks the talk,' Nance said. KI's 2013 CSR report measures the company's performance for environmental and social responsibility based on Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Sustainability Reporting Guidelines.

Report highlights include:

  • KI has achieved level certification for 172 products, 35 of which are level 2 certified under the Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association’s (BIFMA) level Sustainability Program.

  • KI diverted 6,671,165 pounds of materials from the landfill to recycling centers in 2013.

  • KI produced 130 MWh of solar renewable energy and purchased 288 MWh of renewable energy credits last year. The company installed a 115 KW roof-mounted solar panel system (480 solar panels) on its Design Center to offset electricity made from fossil fuels.

  • KI decreased energy use by 8% and greenhouse gas use by 6% over 2012.

  • KI decreased water use by 15% over 2012.

In recognition of these and other environmental achievements, KI received the Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council’s Green Master Award for excellent performance in nine sustainability areas ranging from energy and water use to educational outreach and employee engagement to company governance.

KI added that its efforts to promote a healthy lifestyle for its employees has paid off as well. The company said its employees pay $2,086,000 less annually in premiums than the national average for employees working for companies with similar health insurance plans.

View KI's 2013 Corporate Social Responsibility report.