At Tot Mate, we're increasingly asked about the greenness of our product.  And we're proud to say that we're growing in greenness!

Probably the most frequently asked question is that of emissions.  Do Tot Mate furnishings emit volatile organic compounds?  VOC's can be misleading. Almost anything manufactured emits VOC's to some extent. The question should be "do Tot Mate furnishings emit VOC's at an acceptable level?  And the answer is yes. Tot Mate products have been thoroughly tested and our emissions are extremely low, in fact well-below the world's strictest guidelines.

Another environmental issue to think about is the amount of volatile organic compounds that you may add through the use of daily cleaners and disinfectants.  These can be greatly reduced by using environmentally-friendly products.  Reducing the use of chemicals aids in this fight, and improves the quality of indoor air.  It's important to you, and that makes it important to us.

Two other areas in which we're growing greener is that of using sustainable resources, and converting from the use of PVC to ABS, which is a more environmentally friendly material.  As part of our environmental committment we will continue to look for ways to improve, and to search for suppliers who do the same.

• It's important to remember that furniture manufactured with pressed-wood board offers an alternative to solid wood products. The manufacturing process compresses wood by-products to form the board.
  
• Medium Density Fiberboard manufacturers are making efforts to produce wood-based panels using softwood fibers and polyurea resin matrix adhesive and producing formaldehyde-free products.
  
• Many laminate manufacturers have made inroads into producing a product that greatly reduces the amount of, or does not emit or contain, volatile organic compounds.  One of our largest suppliers has been awarded the GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certification from the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute. This certification ensures that homeowners and design professionals can specify a low-emitting surfacing product that does not require special ordering or extra cost. All of our wood product suppliers adhere to using wood by-products from sustainable managed forests.

Stevens Industries, Inc., the manufacturer of Tot Mate furniture, has also taken steps to reduce the use of products and processes containing VOC's; reduce, reuse and recycle; and to search for new sources of environmentally-friendly or renewable resource products.

Through responsible manufacturing, innovations in product processes, and responsible purchasing, we reaffirm our commitment to being an earth-friendly company and a valuable member of our community.