Q COLLECTION creates furnishings that are better for you, your home and our planet.

Q COLLECTION strives to be at the forefront of sustainable design. Our primary goal is the elimination of toxic chemicals, carcinogens and the leading components of poor indoor air quality. The Q COLLECTION team has thoroughly researched a wide selection of potential materials and is confident that we have selected the purest currently available. We will continue to seek out and test new materials as they enter the market.
First, it might be helpful to describe how we define sustainability. We approach it as ‘acting today in a manner to protect and preserve our planet for tomorrow’.

• Q COLLECTION associates the following benefits with sustainable products:
- Reduction of Climate Change and Acid Rain
- Improvement of Indoor and Outdoor Air Quality
- Conservation of Water and Improvement of Water Quality
- Waste reduction, Reuse and Recycling
- Reduction or Elimination of Pollution
- Conservation of Energy
- Improvement of Human Health and the Environment
- Preservation and Restoration of Habitat
- Reduction of Environmental and Product Liability
- Increased Social Equity

The points mentioned above are our long-term goals. We understand that our first generation products must focus on the areas of highest concern. Our research indicates that health impacts (mainly related to indoor air quality) and general environmental damage are the best places to start.

Health Related Concerns
Residential furniture construction typically uses several known or suspected carcinogenic materials including formaldehyde and polyurethane. Most recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared formaldehyde as “known to cause cancer to humans”.

Q COLLECTION has eliminated polyurethane and formaldehyde from our furniture. The following is a description of materials commonly found in household furniture that Q COLLECTION has eliminated:

• Formaldehyde
- Used as an adhesive in most residential wood furniture
- Known indoor air pollutant
- Health effects include eye, nose, and throat irritation; wheezing and coughing; fatigue; skin rash and severe allergic reactions. High concentrations may trigger asthma attacks. It has also been shown to cause cancer in animals and, according to World Health Organization, causes cancer in humans.

• Polyurethane
- Used as a sealant on most all residential wood furniture
- Polyurethane contains toluene di-isocyanate which is toxic and known to cause cancer in humans. Long-term exposure may cause chronic lung problems, although evidence is not conclusive. Animal studies have reported depressed weight gain, effects on the lungs and organ weight abnormalities.

• Brominated Flame Retardants (PBDE’s)
- Banned in Europe but currently used extensively in household furniture
- Linked to brain disorders and birth defects

• Toxic Chemicals
- These are chemicals such as dioxin, PCB’s, PBB’s, etc. that are known to affect the human immune system.
- Dioxin, in addition to being a by-product of furniture production, is also a routine contaminant in products such as fabrics that have been “whitened” by chlorine treatment.
- Health effects resulting from a weakened immune system have now been found to include increased frequency and duration of colds and flu, allergies, asthma, autoimmune disorders such as diabetes, arthritis, lupus and others. Research is also beginning to show how children with low function in parts of their immune system are contracting cancer at much higher rates than children with higher functioning immune systems.

• Organic Pollutants
- Used in furniture related products - paint, paint stripper and wood preservatives.
- Eye, nose and throat irritation; headaches, loss of coordination, nausea; damage to liver, kidneys and central nervous system. Some organics can cause cancer in animals and are suspected to cause cancer in humans.

Q COLLECTION’s fabrics and leathers are also on the forefront of sustainability. We seek out mills that are making the smartest, most beautiful qualities with the best environmental and health story.

Our Residential collection offers high-end biodegradable textiles made from natural fibers. These include abaca, alpaca, bamboo, hemp, linen, organic cotton, and wool. All of our textiles are custom colored or printed with low-impact, heavy metal-free dyes. Our Leather Lusso uses only vegetable dyes and no heavy metals in the tanning process. Both the leathers and the fabrics are free of any toxic finishes or treatments.

The Contract collection is made of eco-polyesters fabrics and heavy metal-free leathers suitable for commercial use. These too are custom colored with low-impact, heavy metal-free dyes. The fabrics have MBDC Cradle to CradleTM certification and are recyclable. A reclamation program is in place to recycle all Q Collection Contract polyesters. If a barier is requested, Crypton Green is available with a one piece minimum. The contract textiles are produced in North America.

Environmental Impacts
Eliminating or dramatically reducing the environmental footprint of our products is also a primary goal.

• Wood: We use only “certified,” sustainability harvested wood. Certification ensures that our wood is grown from tree farms that employ superior forestry management practices. The source of most of the wood on the market today is unknown and, unfortunately, can originate from some of the world’s most threatened ecosystems such as old-growth forests in the Pacific Northwest or Amazon rain forests. The United States is by far the largest importer of virgin timber from the Amazon River region. We are certain, however, that our wood does not come from any of these threatened ecosystems.

• Cotton: Cotton is the world’s most polluting crop. We use organic cotton whenever available. Our batting is organic cotton and for our muslin layer, we use organic cotton flannel.

• Fabric and Fabric Dyes: Q COLLECTION fabric line uses only natural 100% biodegradable materials (e.g. wool, viscose, abaca (banana plant stalk), hemp and low-impact cotton. Our dyes are 100% non toxic. In fact, for our wool-based textiles, we partnered with the world’s leading environmental mill. Together, we have achieved such things as:
• The water that leaves the mill is cleaner than the Swiss drinking water that enters it.
• The excess clippings from the fabric are used as mulch by farmers in the surrounding area.
• Their dyes have passed the most rigorous tests developed.
Our line is the first time this mill has produced fabrics focused on the residential market.

In summary, Q COLLECTION is simply the most thoughtful designed line of home furnishings on the market. We have successfully addressed the most pressing health and environmental issues in home furnishings and will continue to push further.