The Sustainable Furnishings Council shared stories of three manufacturer members prioritizing sustainability.
Gat Creek
Gat Creek manufactures wood furniture in the United States in its plant in Berkley Springs, WV. As one of the founding members of the Sustainable Furnishings Council, the company has taken strides to reduce its energy consumption and carbon footprint, as well as using renewable materials from local sources. “We take a holistic approach to sustainability,” says Gat Caperton, President and CEO of Gat Creek. “Everything we do counts toward sustainability.” The company educates its customers on its practices and processes through an education section on its website, creating a transparency about its sustainability practices.
The woods that Gat Creek uses in its furniture — Cherry, Ash, Maple and Walnut — are sourced from Appalachian forests, within a 250-mile radius. Because of the density of the forest, these trees repopulate quickly.
All Gat Creek furniture is crafted domestically, reducing the company’s need for overseas transport, thereby reducing its carbon footprint.
In recent years, the company upgraded its energy/heating systems, which now burn wood scraps as fuel, which is not only a much cleaner burning fuel, it reduces wood waste from furniture production, preventing scraps from going to the landfill.
Currey & Company
Currey & Company, which manufactures a wide array of lighting, decor and furniture, is committed to lessening the impact its processes and products have on the planet, its employees, and communities.
Its design team has fully embraced this ideology. Native and responsibly sourced materials are not only considered fabrication options but are some of the most recognized elements of Currey’s product designs. Most often, the company work with natural materials such as:
- Recycled glass
- Reclaimed wood
- Driftwood
- Shells
- Natural wrought iron
- Responsibly sourced native woods
As a member of the Sustainable Furnishings Council since 2010, Currey has partnered and sponsored yearly events with the SFC and encouraged its colleagues in the industry to join.
Fermob
Fermob’s commitment to sustainability was not driven by the interest of customers as the company began focusing on this long before sustainability was popular. Fermob, a maker of outdoor furniture and lighting, designs and manufactures furniture to be used in nature, so it was a logical extension of the company’s values to value the environment. Fermob’s mission statement is to be in harmony with nature.
Fermob is one of four companies that have achieved Gold status by the Sustainable Furnishings Council and is also a a member of CITEO, whose mission is to increase recycling.
Most of Fermob’s products are steel and aluminum, two of the most recycled materials on the planet.
The company invested in a new painting line that not only saves eight tons of powder paint per year but also reduces energy use by the ovens. In June 2016 Fermob began to capture the heat put off by the painting line ovens and reuse it so the overall gas consumption was reduced by 8 percent.
In January 2017, Fermob eliminated all industrial water waste from the manufacturing process. This took several years to accomplish.