SUSTAINABILITY
Vaughan Benz is committed to ensuring that its furniture is made of sustainable materials and produced in the most environmentally friendly methods possible.
LEED Certification
We have identified seven potential LEED points that apply to a project based on furniture-related specifications and production process compliance. To obtain LEED points for loose furniture, Vaughan Benz recommends that the project hire a LEED-accredited professional to manage its LEED process and application.
Potential LEED points for which our furniture could potentially assist a project:
Credits 4.1 and 4.2 (2 LEED points)
Recycled Content: MDF is made of recycled content (100% pre-consumer). Steel products contain over 50% recycled content.
Credits 5.1 and 5.2
(2 LEED points)
Final Assembly: This contribution is dependent on project location. Suppose the final assembly point is within 500 miles of our Los Angeles factory (which should cover job sites in California, Nevada, or Arizona). In that case, our furniture could receive these points, provided that the final assembly takes place in Los Angeles. If Vaughan Benz's Asian-made guestroom furniture assembles in our Los Angeles factory, then it could qualify for these LEED points.
Credits 6.0
(1 LEED point)
Rapidly Renewable Materials: Some, but not all, materials used in Vaughan Benz furniture, such as reconstituted veneer, MDF, and bamboo veneer, meet this requirement. Vaughan Benz will make suggestions to the interior designer on the availability of feasible, rapidly renewable materials for each furniture design.
Credits 7.0
(1 LEED point)
FSC-Certified Wood: If the lumber harvest is from Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) Lands, it receives a certificate that provides this point. Certain types of MDF (see credit 6.0) also receive FSC approval and therefore earn this point. Vaughan Benz has used FSC certified lumber and MDF for both its U.S. and Chinese-made furniture. 
Credits 4.4
(1 LEED point)
Indoor Environmental Quality: Adhesives need to be formaldehyde-free, and finishes need to emit low VOCs (volatile organic compounds). All of our furniture made in Los Angeles meets this requirement.
Other environmentally friendly practices at Vaughan Benz: Vaughan Benz and its Asian partners responsibly dispose of their chemical waste to not end up in landfills. Whenever possible, Vaughan Benz and its Asian partner factories use biodegradable packing materials. Vaughan Benz sends its wood debris to a company that recycles it for other commercial use to not end up in landfills.