Kincaid Adopts Eco-Conscious Cushioning

October 17, 2011  by in UnCategorized   

By Home Furnishings Business in Green on October 18, 2011

Kincaid Furniture is adopting Carpenter Co.'s eco-friendly Renew cushioning for all of its upholstered products.

The new cushions will be seen in Kincaid's upholstery introductions for the October High Point Furniture Market. In addition, all existing upholstered goods will include Renew cushions effective immediately.

Renew cushions greatly reduce environmental impact, utilizing soy-based polyol in their Natural Foam Technology process. The cushions are also PBDE-free, CFC-free and recyclable.

"We have a company-wide commitment to produce furnishings that meet or exceed current and future standards for environmental stewardship," said Kincaid's president, Steve Kincaid, "Including Renew cushioning is the next step in a rigorous but satisfying process to live up to that pledge."

Kincaid has achieved both the EFEC and Sustainable By Design designations from the American Home Furnishings Alliance. These audited, ongoing processes require organizations to address and maintain environmental management programs at individual facilities and throughout their global supply chain.

Companies that have fully implemented both EFEC and Sustainable By Design can then submit individual products for evaluation and registration in a program known as Eco3Home by providing detailed health, safety and environmental measurements for each individual item. To date, Kincaid Furniture is the only company to have successfully submitted products for Eco3Home registration. Its Homecoming collection, one of the company's largest-ever introductions, now bears the Eco3Home designation, with additional collections currently in the review process for Eco3Home registration.

"The Carpenter Company has created an exceptionally comfortable and durable cushion that, aside from all its positive environmental attributes, is a great product," said Steve Beeker, Kincaid's vice president, upholstery sales and merchandising. "When you add in the eco-performance qualities, Renew is virtually unrivaled in our industry."

Beeker said the transition to the new cushioning is "happening now" at the company€™s facility in Taylorsville, N.C.  Retailers will receive upholstery with the new cushions within two weeks.