D2C sustainable furniture company Schplendid, founded by entrepreneur and ex-sofa.com founder Rohan Blacker, says it has become one of the first high street UK brands to eliminate flame-retardant chemicals from its sofas by introducing a 100% wool interliner – a natural, inherently fire-resistant barrier cloth, which will cover the inside of the sofa.
The wool interliner has been independently tested and certified by Eurofins, one of the world’s leading technology centres and a UKAS-accredited testing laboratory, confirming compliance with the relevant UK furniture fire safety requirements.
"This represents yet another logical step for Schplendid, a brand fully dedicated to making sofas without plastics, polyester or chemicals, using only materials found in nature – wool, linen, cotton, coconut husk, wood," says the brand. "The move comes at a crucial moment, as the UK Government opened its landmark consultation to reform the 1988 Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations – rules that led Britain to consume around 826,000 tonnes of flame-retardant chemicals each year, twice as much as all other European countries combined."
Rohan comments: “The interiors world has had a fast-furniture problem for far too long, and we've decided (politely) to call time on it. Under the bonnet of most sofas sit layer upon layer of planet-poisoning synthetic foam, polyester fibre and chemically treated fabric, all squished together into something that's impossible to take apart and barely lasts a few years before it's slung out and left to languish in landfill."
TCPP, the most common fire-retardant chemical in UK furniture, can make up as much as 20% of the foam in a standard British sofa and has been classified as 'probably carcinogenic to humans' by the World Health Organisation, says Schplendid: "What's worse about these chemicals is that they don't simply stay on the sofa. They drift into the air we breathe, settle in household dust, and end up in our bodies. By migrating out of the furniture through wear and abrasion, they enter household air and dust, and ultimately our bodies.
"These are not minor concerns. Scientific studies link them to disrupted hormones, impaired fertility, reduced IQ, and developmental harm in children."
Rohan continues: “All these chemicals and nasty materials behave like that house guest who was never invited to the party and who’s now overstayed their welcome. They linger in fabrics far longer than it is healthy, and thanks to their popularity in stain-resistant, waterproof and flame-retardant coatings, they’ve found their way into an astonishing number of everyday items, including upholstered furniture. So even when you’re curled up at home, cup of tea in hand, there’s a fair chance a few of these uninvited characters are quietly loitering in the background."
Schplendid points to a 2017 study which showed that flame-retardants in UK furniture increase smoke toxicity more than reduce fire spread, with a significant proportion of fire deaths being caused by toxic gas inhalation – including carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide – rather than by direct exposure to flames.
“At Schplendid we use only natural materials, the good stuff that comes from nature herself – responsibly sourced wool, coconut husk, proper down feather. Things that breathe easier, wear in rather than wear out, and increase their charm and comfort the older they get. We're not in the business of grand promises or miraculous transformations (heaven knows there's quite enough of that going around). We stubbornly believe in great sofas that last a lifetime, better for the people sitting on them, and better for the planet we all live on”, concludes Rohan.
