SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS
SPECIFIC PRODUCT, ENVIRONMENT, FEATURES
When choosing different materials, we place great importance on the following questions:
– What is the specific product?
– In what environment will the product be used?
– What properties does the product require?
In this way, we strive to develop the right product for the right environment, thereby creating the best conditions for a long lifespan. When developing our products, we avoid mixing too many different types of materials. We place particular focus on the possibility of disassembly, as our furniture is designed to be easily separated into different materials – which facilitates recycling or the replacement of spare parts during reuse.
WOOD
The majority of our furniture is made of wood, which is a fantastic material – partly thanks to its vibrancy and the way it ages beautifully over time, and also because it is a renewable resource.
We believe that sustainable use of forest resources is possible, but only if we ensure their protection. This is why we primarily manufacture our furniture using FSC®-certified wood, which reduces environmental impact by managing forests with social and environmental responsibility.
PLASTIC/PADDING MATERIAL
Continuous efforts are underway to find alternatives to our polyether in order to minimize the use of crude oil. A positive development we observe is that an increasing number of manufacturing suppliers today use bio-waste as a component in the foam. Currently, we work with several natural materials as complements to polyether, such as coconut fiber and natural latex in our sofa Du & Jag. We reuse natural latex waste from production in the “kompis” cushions for Du & Jag. For our smaller plastic parts, such as wheels and furniture glides, we only choose options that are PVC-free.
TEXTILES
Many of our furniture are made with some form of textile, which is why it is important to choose the right fabric for the right environment. In our developed fabric guide, the selected textiles broadly meet the requirements of the EU Ecolabel and OEKO-TEX® – making it easier to select textiles based on both functionality and environmental considerations.
INFO
POLYESTER– An artificial, strong fiber with many excellent properties: hydrophobic, durable, wrinkle-resistant, UV-resistant, and able to withstand high temperatures. Since the majority of our products are used in public environments, polyester fabric is a good choice for upholstery—both for regular washing and due to its high durability and often built-in fire resistance (Trevira CS). We advocate washable textiles at 60 degrees Celsius for furniture intended for environments with particularly high hygiene requirements.
WOOL– A protein fiber with naturally inherent properties. Wool fabric makes the furniture comfortable to sit on, has good breathability, and transports away both moisture and excess heat. The wool fiber also has a natural flame retardant and is well suited for environments with a lot of electronics, as it is also antistatic. We primarily choose wool fabrics for furniture with fixed (tacked) upholstery—mainly to avoid dry cleaning, which is not sustainable in environments where upholstery needs to be washed regularly.
SURFACE TREATMENT/VARNISHES
As early as 2012, we took the step to phase out certain hazardous chemicals when we switched to water-based lacquer on our furniture. The majority of our tables are also coated with water-based UV lacquer, resulting in a highly resistant surface that meets the requirements for category 5 according to Möbelfakta. For tables that will be placed in more exposed environments and regularly disinfected with alcohol, we recommend choosing a tabletop with high-pressure laminate.
PACKAGING
We are part of Kinnarps’ logistics system, where we use blankets and cardboard instead of disposable boxes to protect the products during transport. These blankets and cardboard are then returned and reused time and time again. For each truckload, this results in a saving of approximately 270 kg of packaging—such as corrugated cardboard. This packing method also makes it possible to fit up to 50% more furniture per transport. In this way, we increase efficiency, reduce the number of transports, and ultimately decrease our climate impact.