Service 04
Service 02
Service 03
Sustainable Furniture – Establishing Priorities
Furniture assets can usually be repaired, renovated, or upcycled to extend their life and with substantial carbon savings. A scheduled programme including, where necessary, loan furniture makes this approach viable. Surplus products can be exchanged or donated to worthwhile causes.
Investigations into future recyclability as well as recycled content can also be conflicting. Many materials are recyclable, but can they be separated into waste streams and is there access to recycling facilities? Are the recycled materials suitable for onward recycling? Do you specify something that is 80% recycled or 100% recyclable?
Renewable materials also have considerations. There has been much publicity about bamboo, for example, describing the fast growing, carbon removal benefits yet it is a highly invasive plant. Has its planting impacted local habitats or replaced food production land? Another example is cotton. It generally requires chemical fertilisers and pesticides to grow, polluting local ecosystems and drinking water. It can degrade soil quality, prevent biodiversity, and labour conditions for the workers can be questionable.
Specifying for environmental responsibility does require research and planning. We need to challenge our short-term thinking; design for reuse over multiple lifetimes; design for disassembly and deconstruction; and design out waste. If you would like further information and details of future webinars from Southernsbroadstock , please contact Joanna at joanna.knight@southernsbroadstock.co.uk.
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