A pan-industry take on sustainability

The inaugural Routes to Greater Sustainability Industry Day, delivered by The Furniture Makers’ Company in association with the British Furniture Confederation (BFC) at Furniture Makers’ Hall, London on 16th February, offered insight into how the UK furnishing industry is mitigating climate change.

The free event, which was sponsored by FIRA, Ocee Design, Panaz and SATRA, was the first pan-furnishing industry conference of its kind, and welcomed businesses and delegates from all sectors of the domestic and contract markets, with the aim of sharing knowledge and best practice.

Delegates watched nine short presentations, which included: an overview of potential new Government legislation by the BFC; a focus on the Furniture Industry Sustainability Programme (FISP); and information about how to measure a company’s carbon footprint, by SATRA. The schedule also included case studies from companies including Carpet Recycling UK, Hypnos, JPA Workspaces, Panaz and Silentnight. Between the presentations, networking sessions offered delegates the opportunity to learn from one another.

Joanna Knight, The Furniture Makers’ Company’s climate change and sustainability committee chair, says: “Our Routes to Greater Sustainability Industry Day offered a unique opportunity for colleagues from throughout the furnishing sector, from retail, office, bedding and flooring, to come together to share knowledge and experiences. We were delighted with the attendance and the extremely positive feedback. We intend to build upon this success and develop a range of initiatives to promote greater understanding.”

The industry day was supported by trade associations including the British Furniture Manufacturers (BFM), Carpet Recycling UK, Commercial Interiors UK, FIRA International, the National Bed Federation (NBF) and SATRA.

Furniture News’ Paul Farley adds: “It was great to hear a balanced take on the key sustainability issues affecting our industry, as well as the experiences of those striving to stay ahead of the curve. The industry needs to change, in many ways – hopefully this experience brought a few of the delegates a little closer to realising it.”

The presentations can be viewed on YouTube, at https://bit.ly/3ThsEgx.