Overview
Scheduled two weeks before the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), the timely webinar by The Furniture Makers’ Company brought together a panel of experts representing different sectors of the industry to investigate what the trade is doing about sustainability and identify opportunities for improvement. The webinar took place on Thursday 14 October.
Host and panellists
Peter Holland, principal at Linear Structure, host of webinar
Richard Essery, director of sustainability and innovation at Harrison Spinks
Daniel Hopwood, founder of Studio Hopwood
Joanna Knight, sustainability & circular economy manager at Women in Office Design
Kate Wright, group head of sustainable product development at DFS Group
The topics discussed were:
Embracing Carbon Reduction Initiatives – do customers understand what is ‘green’? Do customers know what is genuinely ‘green’? Should ‘eco’ credentials be clearer with greater uniformity on certification?
Eco-design – will customers pay? There is increasing emphasis on product design to improve reuse and recycling potential, durability to maximise useful life, availability of spares and components and use of more environmentally sensitive materials. How should manufacturers communicate a clear message of ‘added value’ and customer benefits?
Circularity – is it commercially viable? The retail sector appears to be leading the race on circularity through introductions from retailers with ‘furniture as a service’ offerings. Are the schemes, including ‘take back’ options, commercially viable and will they be widely adopted?
Headline points from webinar
- Is a green standard needed? A scoring mechanism like white goods receive. The National Bed Federation is investigating such a standard for the bed industry.
- There are currently lots of confusing business standards that are hard to achieve.
- Consumers need to be supported to make an informed decision without being preached at or thinking they are going to get a substandard product by picking green.
- Sustainable is still far down the pecking order of priorities for consumers who will focus first on price and style.
- Education is key, and the message needs to be sowed throughout the customer journey so they understand what impact the product will have at the end of its life.
- Interior designers should consult the British Institute of Interior Design’s paper on sustainability.
- More manufacturers need to offer a repair service to prevent pieces going to landfill, but skilled labour is a problem. There would also be delivery and transport costs incurred.
- Sofology is starting a rental model with a sofa frame.
- Is a rental model the way forward that will satisfy the fleeting tastes and changing lifestyles of a generation of renters? Scale would be needed to make it cost effective.
- In the commercial sector, furniture offered as a service is beginning to happen.
- Circularity must be commercially viable for it to be possible.
- Collaboration is needed between companies.
- Some parts of the world are introducing raw material taxes.
- Ultimately, legislation from government will drive improvement and taxation will be likely.
Questions and answers
Would becoming a B Corp not show the company is taking the right steps and is legally required to consider its impact on the environment?
B Corp does provide independent certification of a company’s commitment and achievements relating to social and environmental performance. It does not certify individual products – but does certainly provide confidence to buyers.
How do you think the new BEIS FR review will affect the sustainability aspect?
There are significant developments in FR. Whilst there are opportunities with halogen free FR and alternatives to foam, issues remain with legacy furniture.
How can we square the circle of clients demanding new every 5-6 years and as a manufacturer we are trying to make quality products to last so they only need to be bought once? Even if we take back the products and repurpose them after 5-6 years and supply new ones again to the original clients this is still a large use of energy and materials and counterproductive to reduce emissions.
This is a significant issue in the office / contract sector. It should not prevent manufacturers from ‘doing the right thing’ and work collaboratively with specifiers and occupiers to educate the market regarding waste and emissions. It is hoped that education and social pressures will also create greater opportunities for reuse / second hand – facilitated through longevity of products, ability to reupholster, availability of spare components for repairs.
There is a recognition that the entire industry is facing a skills gap emergency. Looking at the three areas we have discussed today what would you see are the skills that are necessary and currently in short supply to move forward on a sustainability model?
Expertise regarding sustainable design and procurement / upholstery / remanufacturing & renovation / operation & logistics (reverse logistics, disassembly)