The Furniture Makers’ Company, the City of London livery company and charity for the furnishing industry, hosted the next in a series of sustainability events, Material Choices for more Sustainable Products, on 4th March at Furniture Makers Hall.
The seminar, which was sponsored by the Furniture Industry Sustainability Programme, Ocee & Four Design, Panaz and SATRA, focused on examining some of the established and widely used materials in the furniture and furnishing sector, and considerations for greater sustainability.
Addressing the "sell out" audience, Joanna Knight, chairman of the Climate Change and Sustainability Committee at The Furniture Makers’ Company, said: “Materials have, arguably, the greatest impact on a product’s environmental footprint and overall sustainability credentials, so there are many factors that need to be considered. Carbon is one metric, but there are numerous other issues. We must evaluate materials in terms of suitability, durability, circularity and supply chain traceability as well as impacts on water usage, food production and natural ecosystems.
“Product design also requires examination. Design for disassembly, for example, has a fundamental impact on future reuse and recyclability of component materials. There are no ‘quick wins’ or ‘silver bullets’, it is essential that all considerations are thoroughly investigated.”
Following the introductions, the morning included a series of presentations from industry specialists. Julie Walker, from Vita Group, provided an overview about developments with foam. Whilst sometimes criticised as a synthetic material, Julie highlighted some of the significant benefits in terms of durability, tensile strength, practicality and affordability. The company has also introduced some innovative developments in relation to recycled content, including polyols sourced from recycled post-consumer foam mattresses as well as a plant-based polyol as an alternative to petrochemical-based feedstocks.
Camira Fabrics is one the UK’s leading manufacturers, and the supplier of the upholstery for London’s tube trains. The company has pioneered the reuse of waste materials since the late 1990s as well as introducing innovative textiles using renewable fibres including nettles and hemp. Camira’s lead innovator, Jodie Padgett, provided an overview including details about iinouiio (an acronym for 'it is never over until it is over'), the latest wool recycling and repurposing technology. The process allows Camira to take waste in the form of yarn, selvedges or fabrics and recycle back to raw fibre to be spun, woven and used once again. Further developments are also being pioneered to allow closed-loop textile-to-textile recycling.
Jake Lane, sustainability manager at Silentnight Group, then described the planetary boundaries concept, which presents a set of nine planetary boundaries within which humanity can continue to develop and thrive for generations to come. It demonstrates that when considering sustainability of materials and product we must think beyond carbon alone and the dangers of ‘unintended consequences’. He stressed the importance of not just understanding the material but also the country of origin, including implications relating to water stress.
John Hubbard, technical consultant at Fira International, provided a presentation about leather. Being a fellow and former president of Society of Leather Technologists and Chemists (2021-2023), John was able to offer expert insights about leather, and de-mystify some of issues. He highlighted that leather is a waste material from the food industry and, without transforming into leather, hides would go into landfill or be incinerated. In many applications leather materials have longer service lives than potential alternatives, and it will naturally biodegrade over a 10–50-year period depending on the type. John also stressed the importance of supply chain traceability to not only appreciate the origin of the hide but also the tanning processes undertaken.
The seminar then focused on wood – a ubiquitous material in the furniture industry. Lucy Tickner, ESG knowledge manager at Track Record Global, provided an update on the EU’s Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) and compliance requirements. She then spoke about the necessity and procedures for Chain of Custody claims.
One of The Furniture Makers’ Company’s committee members, Fiona Edwards from JPA Workspaces, then provided a perspective from a reseller, outlining the frustrations of companies not following the strict and robust processes.
The lunchtime break provided an opportunity for networking and discussions and was followed by a presentation by the committee chair and co-founder of The Sustainable Design Collective, Joanna Knight, who reiterated the importance of due diligence to understand the implications of material choices. She used the example of a simple coat hanger to highlight some of the considerations – a photo showed a 1950s coat hanger from a dry cleaner which is still fully functional today. The other example was a more modern plastic alternative which had become brittle and broken.
Joanna concluded her presentation with a reference to the ‘butterfly diagram’ from the Ellen Macarthur Foundation showing circular economy systems. The diagram illustrates the biological cycle for biodegradable materials which can be returned to the natural environment. The opposite side of the diagram is the technical cycle which focuses on materials like metals, plastics and electronics which need to be continuously reused, refurbished and recycled to maintain their value within the system.
The event was attended by over 80 members of the furniture and furnishing industry, and was "extremely well received".
John Makepeace OBE, celebrated furniture designer-maker, says: “This was the Furniture Makers’ Company at its best, providing leadership and support for the industry.”
Lauren Braybrook, purchasing co-ordinator at Dreams, called it "industry collaboration made possible by The Furniture Makers’ Company."
