See how KI’s 2025 sustainability progress—from lower emissions to certified products—helps customers meet ESG goals with confidence.
At KI, sustainability isn’t a part-time initiative. It’s fully and directly integrated with how we solve problems for our customers and make a greater impact on our surrounding communities.
Whether you’re designing a learning environment, specifying for healthcare, or planning a workplace, the expectations are clear: reduce environmental impact, support human well-being, and make smart long-term investments. Our 2025 Social Responsibility Report highlights how we’re advancing those priorities in ways that directly support the people we partner with every day.
Here’s what that progress looks like—and why it matters to you.
What Progress Looks Like (and Why It Matters): 2025 Impact at a Glance
reduction in energy consumption
reduction in greenhouse gas emissions
pounds of waste diverted from landfills
reduction in water usage since 2020
products certified to ANSI/BIFMA level® standard
in charitable giving and product donations
These metrics aren’t just forward progress. They represent measurable value for customers trying to meet sustainability benchmarks, certification requirements, and long-term performance expectations.
Lower Impact, Built Into How We Operate
Sustainability starts long before a product reaches your space.
Across our manufacturing operations, we’re focused on reducing energy use, emissions, water consumption, and waste—because operational efficiency directly impacts the footprint of the products you buy.
For example, our Green Bay solar array generates more than 100 MWh of renewable energy annually, helping offset facility usage and reduce emissions. At the same time, ongoing investments in equipment, facilities, and process improvements continue to drive measurable reductions across our footprint.
We actively rethink waste and resources by:
- Expanding recycling streams across facilities
- Designing packaging for recyclability
- Reducing water use through process improvements
Why it matters:
You don’t have to choose between performance, cost, and sustainability. Efficient operations help us deliver all three.
Sustainable Furniture, Designed for the Real World
Beyond how products are made, sustainability is about how long products last and what happens next.
Through our Design for the Environment (DfE) process, we evaluate every stage of a product’s lifecycle, from material selection to end-of-life reuse. The goal is simple: create solutions that perform today and remain relevant tomorrow.
That means:
- Materials with recycled or renewable content
- Products designed for durability, repair, and reconfiguration
- Clear pathways for disassembly, recycling, and reuse
We’ve also expanded product transparency, with Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and material disclosures that help you make informed decisions with confidence.
Why it matters:
You get products that support circular design strategies, reduce replacement cycles, and contribute to certifications like LEED and WELL—without added complexity.
Certified, Verified, and Ready to Specify
Sustainability claims only matter if they’re credible.
In 2025, more than 200 KI products achieved ANSI/BIFMA level® certification, one of the furniture industry’s most comprehensive sustainability standards. These certifications evaluate not just materials, but energy use, human health impacts, and social responsibility across the supply chain.
Why it matters:
Specifying sustainable furniture shouldn’t require guesswork. Third-party certifications help streamline decisions and support your documentation requirements.
People First—Inside and Out
As an employee-owned company, our approach to sustainability includes the people who make—and use—our products.
We continue to invest in workplace safety, health and wellness, and career development, while maintaining strong standards for labor and human rights across our operations and supply chain.
Beyond our walls, we contributed more than $144,000 in charitable giving and product donations in 2025, supporting organizations focused on health, education, and community development.
Why it matters:
Sustainability isn’t just environmental; it’s social. And increasingly, customers and partners expect both.
Progress You Can Build On
We’re proud of the progress reflected in this year’s report, but we’re not treating it as a finish line.
Our focus remains on continuous improvement: reducing our environmental footprint, expanding product transparency, and designing solutions that help our customers and partners do the same.
As we stay focused on big picture impact, we fully embrace the mindset that sustainability isn’t about what we say; it’s about what we enable—for you.
Download the full 2025 Social Responsibility Report to explore the details.
