The Furnishings Makers’ Firm, the Metropolis of London livery firm and charity for the furnishing trade, hosted the subsequent in a sequence of sustainability occasions, ‘Materials Selections for extra Sustainable Merchandise’, on the 4th of March 2025 at Furnishings Makers Corridor. The seminar focussed on analyzing among the established and extensively used supplies within the furnishings and furnishing sector and concerns for better sustainability.
Addressing the promote out viewers, Joanna Knight, chair of the Local weather Change and Sustainability Committee at The Furnishings Makers’ Firm, mentioned: “Supplies have, arguably, the best impression on a product’s environmental footprint and general sustainability credentials so there are various components that should be thought of. Carbon is one metric however there are quite a few different points. We should consider supplies when it comes to suitability, sturdiness, circularity, provide chain traceability in addition to impacts on water utilization, meals manufacturing, and pure ecosystems.”
“Product design additionally requires examination. Design for disassembly, for instance, has a basic impression on future reuse and recyclability of part supplies. There aren’t any ‘fast wins’ or ‘silver bullets’, it’s important that each one concerns are totally investigated.”
Following the introductions, the morning included a sequence of displays from main trade gamers:
Julie Walker, from Vita Group, supplied an outline about developments with foam. While generally criticised as an artificial materials, Julie highlighted among the important advantages when it comes to sturdiness, tensile energy, practicality and affordability. The Firm has additionally launched some revolutionary developments in relation to recycled content material, together with polyols sourced from recycled post-consumer foam mattresses in addition to plant-based polyol as an alternative choice to petrochemical-based feedstocks.
Camira Materials (essential picture) is one the UK’s main producers together with provider of the upholstery for London’s tube trains. The corporate has pioneered the reuse of waste supplies because the late Nineteen Nineties in addition to introducing revolutionary textiles utilizing renewable fibres together with nettles and hemp. Camira’s lead innovator, Jodie Padgett, supplied a superb overview together with particulars about iinouiio, an acronym for “it’s by no means over till it’s over”, the newest wool recycling and repurposing expertise. The method permits Camira to take waste within the type of yarn, selvedges or materials and recycle again to uncooked fibre to be spun, woven and loved as soon as once more. Additional developments are additionally being pioneered to permit closed-loop textile-to-textile recycling.
Jake Lane, sustainability supervisor at Silentnight Group described the planetary boundaries idea. It presents a set of 9 planetary boundaries inside which humanity can proceed to develop and thrive for generations to come back. It demonstrates that when contemplating sustainability of supplies and product we should assume past carbon alone and the hazards of ‘unintended penalties’. He confused the significance of not simply understanding the fabric but additionally the nation of origin together with implications regarding water stress.
John Hubbard, technical marketing consultant at Fira Worldwide, supplied a superb presentation about leather-based. Being a Fellow and Former President of Society of Leather-based Technologists and Chemists (2021-2023), John was capable of provide knowledgeable insights about leather-based and ‘de-mystify’ a few of points. He highlighted that leather-based is a waste materials from the meals trade and, with out remodeling into leather-based, hides would go into landfill or be incinerated. In lots of purposes leather-based supplies have longer service lives than potential alternate options and it’ll naturally biodegrade over a ten–50-year interval relying on the sort. John additionally confused the significance of provide chain traceability to not solely recognize the origin of the conceal but additionally the tanning processes undertaken.
The seminar then focussed on wooden – a ubiquitous materials within the furnishings trade. Lucy Tickner, ESG information supervisor at Monitor Report International, supplied an replace on the EU’s Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) and compliance necessities. She then spoke in regards to the necessity and procedures for Chain of Custody claims.
One in all The Furnishings Makers’ Firm’s committee members, Fiona Edwards from JPA Workspaces, supplied a perspective from a reseller outlining the frustrations of firms not following the strict and sturdy processes.
The lunchtime break supplied a possibility for networking and discussions and was adopted by a presentation by the committee chair and co-founder of The Sustainable Design Collective, Joanna Knight. She reiterated the significance of due diligence to grasp the implications of fabric decisions. She used the instance of a easy coat hanger to focus on among the concerns. A photograph confirmed a Nineteen Fifties coat hanger from a dry cleaner which remains to be totally purposeful immediately. The opposite instance was a extra trendy plastic various which had grow to be brittle and damaged!
Joanna concluded her presentation with a reference to the ‘butterfly diagram’ from the Ellen Macarthur Basis exhibiting round economic system methods. The diagram illustrates the organic cycle for biodegradable supplies which could be returned to the pure atmosphere. The other aspect of the diagram is the technical cycle which focuses on supplies like metals, plastics and electronics which should be repeatedly reused, refurbished and recycled to keep up their worth inside the system.
The occasion was attended by over 80 members of the furnishings and furnishing trade and very properly acquired.
