Green Medallion Criteria
The Australian Furniture Association in association with Australian Living awards the Green Medallion certification annually to entrants into the Australian Furniture Industry Awards (AFIA) and Australian Contemporary Emerging Designer (ACE) awards. The aim of the certification is to increase awareness of the sustainable processes of manufacturing.
The AFA is proud to encourage entrants in these award programs to achieve this medallion and to ensure the standards are met. The standards are aligned with the manufacturing processes of the products and Australian Living considers the following criteria when judging the Green Medallion;
- The green credentials of materials used in the manufacturing process.
- The green credentials of the manufacturing plant (e.g. energy and water efficiencies, waste reduction, recycling).
- What happens to the product at the end of its life (upcycled, materials reused, recycled).
- The way the company educates specifiers and end users about why their product is green.
The Process
Australian Living contact all entrants directly to discuss the sustainability aspect of their product, their comments are noted and used in the final decision making.
Australian Living representative view all entries displayed at AFA’s Awards events, to discuss the product in greater detail with the designer/maker. These meetings ensure further education on sustainability and to ensure that the products meet the established criteria. This also enables manufacturers who do not receive a medallion to discuss and consider ways to improve their green credentials.
The winners are awarded the Green Medallion for their integration of sustainability into the designer and manufacture of the end product.