Stance in Focus

At Stance, sustainability is interwoven into the very fabric of our company. This core commitment is evidenced in the work we do 365 days a year. As we build toward Earth Day, this month we are reflecting on the many ways we show up to support sustainable practices and products from the inside-out.

In the healthcare furniture industry, Stance stands out for our creative use of sustainably made and sourced materials, sustainability certifications, and sustainable furniture award category wins. But, sustainability isn’t just about our external impact – it’s core to our team culture, too, and starts at home. Below are just a few examples of how Stance supports sustainability in the industry and communities we serve:

Most Sustainable Product award winner: In summer 2024, we were honored for our Lotus collection to be awarded Most Sustainable Product at the 2024 Healthcare Facilities Symposium and Expo.

• Lotus is crafted with a commitment to eco-friendliness, utilizing recyclable materials that reduce the strain on our planet’s resources. The use of recycled plastic boards, primarily post-consumer HDPE plastic from items like milk jugs and laundry detergent bottles, minimizes waste and promotes a circular economy by repurposing materials that would otherwise end up in landfills. Lotus aligns with industry environmental certifications and standards, and complies with USGBC LEED requirements, meeting the criteria for materials originating from post-consumer waste.

Nightingale Sustainability award winner: Stance’s Rochester Lounge collection took home the coveted 2023 HCD Nightingale award for sustainability.

• Rochester is a timeless lounge collection featuring sculptural lines, rounded back, and simple legs. The MAS Certified Green® product is tailored for a wide range of healthcare applications, and includes an integrated clean-out space, optional solid surface surround arm caps and field-replaceable upholstery.

Setting a new standard for long-lasting healthcare furniture: Known in the industry for our built-to-last Behavioral Health products, Stance is continually focused on delivering products that stand the test of time – resulting in a sustainable investment for our customers, who enjoy our longer-lasting products vs. many competitor products which need replacing after significantly less time post-purchase. That’s a win for facility budgets and the planet.

• Browse our best-selling, long-lasting BH products here.

State-of-the-art, highly efficient manufacturing operations: As a company, we work together to conserve and protect community resources and streamline our operational processes in ways that ultimately save energy. In 2024, Stance updated our production area toward a new gravity conveyor and handling system that increases production and scalability. Less downtime and reduced clutter are among the sustainable benefits this new system has already yielded.

• Read more about our new warehouse here.

Sustainability vision and leadership from within: We recently elevated Rebecca Merner to the role of Director of Sustainability. Rebecca has been a part of our Stance team for 10 years; in that time, her work and deep knowledge in sustainability helped to advance many opportunities for our company to make a sustainable impact across the industry and communities we serve. It was a natural and exciting next step to transition Rebecca into a role solely focused on accelerating that progress. Having a visionary leader like Rebecca focused wholly on this impact area will keep our team-wide focus on environmental sustainability strong in the long-term. 

Industry-leading furniture sustainability standards: As a leader in the healthcare furniture industry, Stance understands the importance of standards and the organizations that enforce those standards. All Stance Healthcare seating products have been level® certified to conform to the BIFMA e3 Furniture Sustainability Standard. BIFMA International is the recognized leader in developing standards for the North American office and institutional furniture industry. By designing to a higher standard, Stance and the industry are making the healthcare experience safer, more reliable, and better overall for everyone – especially manufacturers, specifiers, and buyers. 

• Learn more about BIFMA compliance here.

Nature as a Primary Source of Design Inspiration: Nature is the ultimate healing environment, and our products are intentionally designed to conjure sensory experiences with nature in healthcare settings. We achieve this through both the products themselves – in soothing tones and textures we carefully curate throughout our product portfolio – as well as through the direction and visionary leadership of our design team.

• This project profile is one of countless examples of a Stance-furnished facility that drew from its natural surroundings for therapeutic zones rather than investing in costly aesthetics and materials that aim to mimic nature.

Voluntary environmental testing: Committed to continuous improvement in furniture sustainability, Stance voluntarily participates to have our products undergo rigorous volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions testing through the MAS Certified Green® program.

• Learn more about the MAS Certified Green® program here.

Keeping our communities clean and healthy: Our commitment to environmental sustainability goes beyond just one day of (Earth Day) clean-up. At Stance, we consistently strive to minimize our carbon footprint and promote eco-friendly practices in our daily operations. By minimizing greenhouse gases and our carbon footprint, we aim to lessen our impact on human health and the ecosystem.

• Look back at our 2024 Earth Day clean-up here. And stay tuned for a recap from our upcoming 2025 event!

From our energy-efficient practices to our commitment to rigorous certifications, we are dedicated to positively impacting the environment and the facilities we serve. We’re Improving Lives by Design, one sustainable practice at a time. Join us and follow along at stancehealthcare.com. You can also view our latest sustainability report here.