DEFRA has now announced that the Government's Buying Standards for Furniture have been approved by Lord Henley, the Defra Parliamentary Under-Secretary, and that the these standards will be effective from the 1st October. The Buying Standards are mandatory requirements for furniture purchasing by central government bodies. The standards are designed to increase the environmental/sustainably purchasing credentials of UK central government and decrease the amount of product being sent to landfill. The new standards will impose additional requirements on companies dealing with central government and this is the reason a 3 month grace period has been allowed, so that manufacturers can adapt to the changes. For companies with framework contracts such as the OGC and NHS Supplies, it is unlikely that the requirements will kick in until these contracts are re-tendered.