Greening the furniture industry: strategies for carbon footprint reduction
Photo credit: Martynas Zaremba

Greening the furniture industry: strategies for carbon footprint reduction

Furniture supply companies are increasingly recognizing the importance of reducing their carbon emissions to address environmental concerns and meet sustainability goals. To become the first climate-neutral continent in the world by 2050, Europe must adopt sustainable behaviours across the furniture business from material sourcing to manufacturing and distribution.?

In this article, I present several strategies for how furniture manufacturers are working to reduce their carbon footprint.

Glue-related solutions?

The sustainability challenge in the furniture supply could be viewed as primarily a materials-related challenge. In the case of IKEA, the largest furniture retailer in the world, 5% of the climate footprint of the value chain can be attributed to the use of glue in board materials. As a result, IKEA is actively exploring new adhesive solutions. Specifically in board production, switching from fossil-based to bio-based glue alternatives will help IKEA to reduce fossil-based glue use by 40% and greenhouse gas emissions from glue by 30% by 2030. Furthermore, optimization of the adhesive application process is also a key focus area.

Moreover, the quality of board production holds significant importance. Poorly produced boards or the need for reproduction can greatly impact the carbon footprint, particularly when manufacturers have to request material retrieval, resulting in a rapid increase in CO2 emissions.

Fuel alternatives?

Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil fuel (HVO fuel), which emits 90% less CO2 per litre compared to diesel can significantly cut carbon footprint. It can seamlessly substitute diesel without necessitating any modifications to the truck's engine. Efforts for introducing zero-emission transport solutions are also plausible, however, due to its complexity it takes longer for companies to implement electric transportation options. Companies like Howdens and Wren Kitchens have already made significant strides in curbing emissions from their delivery vehicles by introducing HVO fuel and bio-liquid natural gas solutions. Route optimisation and consolidation shipments should also be a part of sustainable transportation.?

Sustainable materials and certification

In the sustainable furniture supply chain, using sustainable materials and responsible sourcing is key. For instance, Wren Kitchens derives 25% of its materials from local sustainable woodlands and repurposes unused wood from nearby sawmills for 45% of its materials. Meanwhile, JYSK aims to have all its wood, cardboard, and paper products and packaging FSC? certified by the end of 2024, ensuring they originate from sustainable and responsible sources. Using reclaimed wood, bamboo, or recycled materials should also be a part of the sustainable materials strategy.

Furniture supply companies are addressing sustainability by exploring and implementing the mentioned strategies. However, energy-efficient manufacturing, sourcing of renewable energy, product design, circular economy, sustainable packaging, and transparency are among other significant factors helping to reduce climate footprint in the furniture industry. Reducing carbon emissions is an ongoing effort, and many furniture companies must continually search for new ways to become more sustainable and environmentally responsible.

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