furniture vs forests - architectural + design features,

Posted 11 Sep 2007, 12:25 by Ben | photo: Vitra

Over the last few months, Ralph Capper Interiors have been researching environmental aspects in connection with many large internationally renowned furniture manufacturers. We have been looking at the sources of raw materials and production methods etc. This comes amid mounting pressure on architects, designers and manufacturers to 'go green'.

In any large supply contract in the UK today, it is expected that the tendering contractors will be able to source the supply route of manufacturers, production methods and individual raw materials used in order to encourage the use of legal and sustainable supply routes that are pre approved by independent governing bodies. Over the years, we have seen many types of timber join the endangered list due to irresponsible management and illegal farming of such areas, resulting in the destruction of massive chunks of rainforests and other protected land. The loss of trees leads to a disruption to local wildlife and can lead to the extinction of animal and insect species, disrupting the food chain. These factors combined with the realisation of carbon footprints and suspected global warming has added to the mounting pressure on specifiers to do the required research before making a decision.

There are many official certificates available which, if achieved, prove that the manufacturer in question has sought to implement sound production methods, responsible choice of materials and approved supply chains. The most widely known at present is ISO-14001. Manufacturers achieving this are showing a commitment to the environment all round, namely:

· Controlling the production of waste and reducing the production thereof
· Controlling the use of resources ( eg. Water, energy, air) and reducing them
· Continously monitoring the above
· Paying attention to waste disposal methods
· Industrial planning (including selection of materials used)
· Carefully choosing suppliers
· Encouraging employee participation in all the above areas in order to continuously improve the processes

Aside from ISO-14001, there are many more certificates available, such as: Wood sourced from FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) approved forests, wood sourced from PEFC certified forests and Ekoscan Approved manufacturers amongst others. There are so many different accreditations and certificates available between different countries that it can be baffling for specifiers. Let me create a scenario for you…

Specifier: “ Hello, I would like to specify your furniture but before I do I would like to ask whether you have achieved ISO-14001?”

Supplier: “ No, but we are approved by Ekoscan ”

Specifier: “ Oh right. But is your wood FSC approved?”

Supplier: “ Our wood is PEFC approved actually.”

Specifier: ** hangs up**

What is clear is that the information is out there and most responsible manufacturers are trying to conform to the same standards and make this information available to specifiers. Many Scandinavian, Finnish and Swiss companies have led the way in achieving ISO-14001. Many British and other European companies are now catching up but there are still various certificates achievable instead of all countries and manufacturers conforming to the same set of recognised standards. Ask the question. If they are not willing or cannot provide the relevant information (the most common and widely approved certification is ISO-14001) then they probably do not conform. If they are ISO-14001 accredited, they should be more than happy to send you a copy of their certificate. If they are not approved it doesn’t necessarily mean they are an evil manufacturer, tearing up acres of countryside and polluting rivers and skies with waste – it could mean that they do meet the standards but have not paid to get the accreditation yet.

Just to confuse you further, I also wanted to draw your attention to two other factors that cloud the issue:

· Lifespan of furniture
· Individual Furniture Certification

Regarding the lifespan of furniture, or indeed any product, it may be kinder to the environment to specify a piece of furniture with a larger carbon footprint IF (and only if) it is guaranteed or expected to last much longer than the reduced carbon equivalent. In other words, a product manufactured efficiently is a good thing, but if it needs to be replaced every 3 years it may not be so good. Another comparable product may produce more waste during its manufacture, but may be expected to last 15 years. The carbon footprint of the first product should therefore be multiplied by 5 to compare the two fairly. This means production, packaging, delivery etc multiplied by five and essentially could mean a very different decision.

In Swedish Standards (thought by many to be the most stringent in the world), they are considering implementing a system whereby each individual product has its own accreditation, rather than each manufacturer. This would give a much more concise analysis. At present a company achieving ISO-14001 could still have some products that are not environmentally friendly, but as a whole, the range of products and manufacturing methods achieve ISO-14001. Alternatively another manufacturer may not achieve the ISO standard but have one or two key products that are carbon neutral.

There are lots of other factors involved and if you are concerned and would like to find out more, such as lists of ISO-14001 conforming manufacturers in the UK and Europe, or particularly ‘green’ products, please feel free to contact Ralph Capper Interiors (info@ralphcapper.com) and we would be happy to explain further details to you. Following our research into this topic, we have put together a presentation for specifiers and are currently making appointments to visit Architects and Designers to discuss.

Don’t be ignorant. Be Green!

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