Furniture Makers’ Company hosts sustainability event

The Furniture Makers’ Company, the City of London livery company and charity for the furnishing industry, hosted its next in a series of sustainability events, ‘Material Choices for more Sustainable Products’, on 4 March 2025 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 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, 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 leading industry players:

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 plant-based polyol as an alternative to petrochemical-based feedstocks.

Jake Lane, Sustainability Manager at Silentnight Group described the planetary boundaries concept. It 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.

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, 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. She 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 extremely well received.

John Makepeace OBE, celebrated furniture designer-maker, said: “This was the Furniture Makers’ Company at its best, providing leadership and support for the industry.”

Lauren Braybrook, purchasing coordinator at Dreams, said: “Industry collaboration made possible by The Furniture Makers’ Company.”

An unnamed delegate said: “The event was great. As an industry, we need to work together to make changes and forums like this help bring people together so that we can learn how we can make a difference.”

The Furniture Makers’ Company – City of London livery company