For more than 100 years, our brands have worked to improve spaces—and the world around us. We believe that together we can do more.
Doing our part for a better world
We embed sustainable thinking into company culture, so the health of our planet drives business decisions, informs eco-friendly solutions, and inspires our people to leave the world better than we found it.
Sustainability timeline
Early innovations established MillerKnoll brands as pioneers in sustainability. In 1953, sustainability became a key mission for Herman Miller. In 1978, Knoll hired a full-time environmental engineer. These timelines are a snapshot of our brands’ accomplishments since.
1953
“We will be good stewards of the Earth”
D.J. De Pree, Founder, Herman Miller
1991
Named a founding member of US Green Building Council
Herman Miller helped the USGBC establish its LEED certification program, which rewards buildings that reduce stress on the environment.
1995
Opened the GreenHouse operations center
Our GreenHouse facility in Holland repurposed an industrial site, restored its surroundings, and became a LEED Pioneer building.
2004
Earned Cradle to Cradle certification
The Herman Miller Design for Environment (DfE) team worked with designers at Studio 7.5 to help the Mirra Chair earn Cradle to Cradle certification, a first for an office product.
2009
Launched rePurpose
Herman Miller launched the rePurpose program to give new life to used products. To date, it has diverted up to 98 percent of products from landfills.
2016
Partnered with Ecomedes
Ecomedes simplified sustainable product sourcing with one-click sustainability reports, making it easy to browse the catalog for certifications, eco labels, and more.
2018
Joined NextWave Plastics as founding member
In four years, NextWave grew to include 11 member companies. It is a consortium working to develop the first global network of ocean-bound plastic supply chains.
2019
Eliminated plastic water bottles
Herman Miller eliminated plastic water bottles at all facilities and set the goal to reduce single-use plastic in packaging by 30 percent.
2020
Named in top 1 percent in EcoVadis CSR rating
Herman Miller joined the top 1 percent to receive this rating, which measures the quality and results of company CSR systems.
2021
Launched Revenio textile collection
Revenio implemented 100-percent recycled content and biodegradable polyester in its design.
Our 2030 sustainability goals
Sustainable design leads to more inspiring products, as well as a culture of people committed to doing things right. Our goals for 2030 continue our collective’s tradition of designing for a world we all want to live in.
Design out waste
We aim to eliminate waste from our processes, including single-use plastic packaging and waste in landfills, air emissions, and water use.
Reduce carbon footprint
We aim to reduce carbon emissions from our products and operations by 50 percent, building off our 7,000-ton carbon reduction by mid-2023.
Source better materials
Materials comprise over 50 percent of the carbon footprint of our products. We want to source them better.
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