At La-Z-Boy, we understand the impact our operations have on the environment, both locally and globally. That’s why we’re committed to integrating environmentally sound and sustainable business practices into everything we do (see our environmental policy). Our goal is to craft high-quality products, while having the least environmental impact. We are focused on reducing waste, increasing recycling and energy efficiency, and consuming fewer resources.
In addition, we work cooperatively with our suppliers to foster compliance with applicable laws and regulations concerning environmental protection through their conformity with our Supplier Code of Conduct and Product Stewardship program.
Carbon & climate
A majority of the Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gases we generate are produced through the burning of fossil fuels. As a result, we have implemented a very effective energy management program to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels. We are working diligently to reduce and manage our environmental footprint, including greenhouse gases.
We are committed to reducing our energy consumption, reducing costs, optimizing capital investment for energy efficiency, reducing environmental and greenhouse gas emissions, and conserving natural resources.
Our energy management program consists of the following elements:
Energy efficiency measures
Analysis of energy data
Energy audits
Performance goals
Energy action plans
Energy monitoring
Success recognition
Responsible sourcing
La-Z-Boy Incorporated regularly evaluates new materials and technologies with the goal of improving our product sustainability. Sourcing materials that are sustainable or produced sustainably is an essential part of our commitment to reducing our environmental footprint. We understand the importance of not only using sustainable materials but also ensuring our products are designed for durability and longevity to reduce waste.
Our mission is to prevent waste from reaching landfills across the product lifecycle, i.e., from product development and manufacturing to the final stages of distribution.
Our waste management programs consist of the following elements:
Prevention and reduction at the source
Environmentally sound recycling
Proper disposal of hazardous waste
Environmentally sound disposal of non-hazardous waste
Electronic waste
We strive to comply with all local, state, federal and international rules and regulations related to electronic waste through appropriate recycling and disposal of these materials.
Emissions and spills
Our manufacturing operations obtain the appropriate air emission permits for the regulated activities at their site, including implementation of the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Wood Manufacturing Operations at the appropriate locations. Many of the materials we utilize do not have volatile organic emissions or are extremely low such as water-based adhesives and TSCA Title VI / California Air Resource Board composite-wood formaldehyde air emissions compliant materials. In addition, we have a record of no major on-site spills at any of our facilities.
Hazardous waste
Effective hazardous waste management is critical for protecting our consumers, employees, and the environment. At La-Z-Boy, we ensure compliance to state and federal regulations by training our employees on identification, proper handling and disposal methods by following the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) . RCRA gives the EPA the authority to control hazardous waste from the "cradle-to-grave." This includes the generation, transportation, treatment, storage and disposal of hazardous waste. To achieve this, EPA develops regulations, guidance and policies that ensure the safe management and cleanup of solid and hazardous waste, and programs that encourage source reduction and beneficial reuse. To support this effort, we have trained selected employees to the RCRA standard and utilize TranZform to manage this internally.
We either reuse or recycle as much packaging material as possible from our manufacturing locations, distribution warehouses or when furniture is delivered to our customers. Plastic, cardboard, metal and many other items are all recycled within our manufacturing facilities. The distribution centers have a packaging return program with our manufacturing facilities for many items (including card board boxes and plastic bags furniture is transported in). We recycle the packaging materials at the RDCs that are not reused (including densifiers to recycle Styrofoam). Packaging associated with the furniture that our distribution centers deliver is removed prior to delivery (either reused or recycled) and re-usable furniture blankets are used to deliver furniture.
We strive to provide our stakeholders with important information about our sustainability-related governance and performance. In an effort to provide comparable information, we adopted a framework through which we can hold ourselves accountable for the environmental and social impact of our business operations using the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) Sustainable Industry Classification System (SICS) Standard for the Consumer Products – Building Products & Furnishings industry to guide our disclosure. We have aligned our reporting with the climate-specific recommendations developed by the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), and we will also align with the International Sustainability Standards Board's (ISSB) standards in the future. In 2021, we committed to setting science-based targets to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by no later than 2050, assuming advancements in technology, public policy, and customer behavior. In the coming year, we will continue to dedicate resources to measuring, reporting, and reducing our environmental footprint.
