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DCI Awarded SCS Indoor Advantage Gold Certification

In GreenCertification, Nontoxic by Morgan Dix

Indoor air quality directly impacts student cognition. The science on that is clear. For years, DCI has made this issue a priority, ensuring that our furniture does not contribute in any way to poor indoor air quality. Why is this important? Because furniture frequently contributes to poor indoor air quality by off-gassing harmful chemicals called VOCs (volatile organic compounds). This is why DCI recently sought and was awarded the SCS …

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Case Study: Sustainable Purchasing at Southwestern University

In Blog, case study, Climate Friendly Furniture, Green Manufacturing, GreenCertification, Local Sourcing, Nontoxic, Purchasing and Value, Recycle, Repurpose, Reuse, solid wood, Wood is Good by Morgan Dix

Summary Southwestern University hired a Sustainability Coordinator and embraced a commitment to zero waste on campus. They reached out to DCI to provide them with sustainable zero waste furniture to furnish two of their residence halls. The Oldest University in Texas Southwestern University (SU) is a private liberal arts school in Georgetown, Texas, just north of Austin. Situated on a 780-acre suburban campus with 1,430 undergrads, the school was founded …

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DCI Hosts Sustainability Delegation From South & Central America

In Blog, Green Manufacturing, Nontoxic, Wood is Good by Morgan Dix

The White Mountains of New Hampshire are dramatic and beautiful. Driving into the North Country, they suddenly rise from the rolling pastoral hills of northern New England.  Approaching the sheer granite faces of Franconia Notch, you wouldn’t be the first person to draw comparisons to Yosemite’s magnificent half dome. Yes, they exist on different scales, but they’re both arresting. So it was no surprise that awe and appreciation for New …

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Residence Hall Furniture: The Complete Insider’s Guide

In Blog, Green Manufacturing, GreenCertification, Nontoxic, Wood is Good by Morgan Dix

Are you in the market to furnish your college or university residence hall? Maybe this is your first time buying dormitory furniture for your school’s residence hall or perhaps you’re a seasoned veteran. Either way, it’s a big job and there are so many emerging trends influencing the conception, design, development, use, and installation of residence hall furniture. So we’ve created a guide to help you navigate the key contexts and questions you should consider. …

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How Our UV Finish Improves Your Indoor Air Quality

In Blog, Green Manufacturing, Nontoxic, solid wood, Wood is Good by Amos Kober

Have you ever wondered about that funny smell coming from your new wood floor or your new wood furniture? Or maybe, like me, you felt a little light-headed after being in a building where you encountered that same smell. It turns out that subtle suspicion you were harboring in the back of your mind—It can’t be good for me to be breathing this in!—was accurate. Volatile Organic Compounds Are Dangerous You …

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4 Criteria For Selecting Your Residence Hall Furniture Supplier

In Blog, Climate Friendly Furniture, Customizing, Design Resource, Green Manufacturing, GreenCertification, Nontoxic, Purchasing and Value, Recycle, solid wood, Wood is Good by Morgan Dix

What are the main things you need to think about when you’re buying sustainable residence hall furniture and choosing your supplier? It’s easy to get overwhelmed with all the options. We’ve supplied solid hardwood furniture to college residence halls for over 40 years. And we’ve also observed that some things stand out when you’re choosing your residence hall furniture supplier. Based on our experience, in addition to cost and service, here are …

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Is Your Furniture Toxic? Everything You Need To Know About Flame Retardant Chemicals

In Blog, Nontoxic by Morgan Dix

[Updated January 7, 2021] Maybe you’ve heard? In residence halls across the country, there’s a debate over the furniture fire safety standards which are designed to protect human health. In a strange and unsettling twist, for the last several decades furniture manufacturers have used highly toxic flame retardant chemicals to meet the same fire standards that are meant to protect us. According to a 2012 study examining the effects of these flame retardant …

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Harvard Study: Green Buildings (And Furniture) Improve Student Cognition

In Blog, GreenCertification, Nontoxic by Amos Kober

New studies show that indoor air quality and student performance are closely linked. College students spend a lot of time indoors. Much of that time is in their residence hall studying, sleeping, and recreating. So providing students with the highest standard of indoor air quality is essential. Indoor Air Quality and Student Performance This issue has taken on greater urgency in light of a 2015 study from Harvard’s School for Public Health which measured the impact of …

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How To Earn LEED Credits With DCI Furniture

In Blog, GreenCertification, Local Sourcing, Nontoxic, Recycle, Reuse, solid wood, Wood is Good by Morgan Dix

Do you want to ensure that your residence hall meets the highest environmental and human health standards?Perhaps you are working to earn LEED credits for your green building? Students spend a majority of their college years in their dorms studying, learning, and investing in their future. So it’s important that we invest in building and furnishing residence halls that support student health and well being. One of the best ways …

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7 Sustainability Questions You Need To Ask Before You Buy Your Residence Hall Furniture

In Blog, Climate Friendly Furniture, Green Manufacturing, Local Sourcing, Nontoxic, Recycle, Repurpose, Reuse, solid wood, Wood is Good by Amos Kober

Do you buy ethical furniture for your residence hall? It’s an important question, because building residence hall furniture consumes a lot of resources and it leaves a big footprint. What kind of footprint? Creating Ethical Furniture Your furniture is built from lots of different materials. Those materials need to be sourced and then shipped to a manufacturing plant. Then the furniture is constructed and eventually shipped to you. At every …