www.fira.co.uk

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Benchmarking carbon footprints of furniture products

Testing•Certification • Consultancy • Training • Equipment • Membership

Welcome

Jonny Westbrooke

Chief Operating Officer

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AGENDA

• Introduction to furniture footprinting Dr Peter Beele

• Coffee break

• Project methodology Phil Reynolds

• Results Dr Asli Tamer Vestlund

• Lunch

• Conclusions Phil Reynolds

• Panel discussion

• Networking and refreshments

Testing•Certification • Consultancy • Training • Equipment • Membership

Introduction to furniture footprinting

Dr Peter Beele

Technical Development Manager

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SUSTAINABILITY AND FISP

Furniture Industry Sustainability Programme• Environmental management systems• Waste, energy, packaging, transport management• Sustainable timber purchasing• Air emissions management• End-of-life• Nuisance / noise • Community relations• Education and training• Employment• Charity work

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CARBON FOOTPRINTING

A ‘carbon footprint’ measures the total greenhouse gas emissions caused directly

and indirectly by a person, organisation, event or product

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CLIMATE CHANGE

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CARBON AND GREENHOUSE GASES

Kyoto Protocol greenhouse gases

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FURNITURE FOOTPRINTING

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FOOTPRINTING OPTIONS

• Organisational footprints• Process footprints• Product footprints

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PRODUCT FOOTPRINTS

• Informed specification and purchasing

• Comparable

• Benchmarks

• Marketing and promotion

The Holy Grail

• Cost effective

Testing•Certification • Consultancy • Training • Equipment • Membership

Methodology

Phil Reynolds

Principal Technical Manager

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• UK furniture industry covers a broad range of company sizes, from very small to very large

• UK furniture industry covers a number of sectors including office, kitchen, domestic and non-domestic sectors manufacturing beds, chairs, tables and storage.

BACKGROUND

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FIVE KEY AIMS

To develop and critique a cost effective methodology, from which UK furniture producers could calculate the

carbon footprint of their products

OBJECTIVE 1

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FIVE KEY AIMS

To examine the viability of comparing the carbon footprint of similar furniture

products on a like for like basis

OBJECTIVE 2

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FIVE KEY AIMS

To identify furniture sectors and product categories suitable for carbon

footprint comparisons

OBJECTIVE 3

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FIVE KEY AIMS

To provide industry carbon footprint benchmarks for appropriate products

OBJECTIVE 4

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FIVE KEY AIMS

To provide advice to the UK furniture industry and furniture specifiers on the

interpretation of carbon footprint claims

OBJECTIVE 5

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UNDERLYING PRINCIPLES

Key factors to ensure take-up:

• Use established methodologies where possible

• Low cost• Easy to use

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BOUNDARIES

CRADLE TO GATE

• Incoming materials• Manufacturing activities• Sub-contracting activities• Packaging • Other company impacts

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BOUNDARIES

EXCLUSIONS

• Manufacture and maintenance of capital goods

• Office materials• Building maintenance• Staff commute• Immaterial emissions

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TEMPORAL BOUNDARIES

ONE FULL CALENDAR YEAR

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ASSUMPTIONS

The total non-material footprint is divided by the total number of

products produced, regardless of product type, to obtain an allocation

per product

ASSUMPTION 1

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ASSUMPTIONS

Incoming transport emissions only include distances from the last

supplier in the supply chain

ASSUMPTION 2

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ASSUMPTIONS

Average emissions data is representative of the embedded

carbon of materials used by the UK furniture industry

ASSUMPTION 3

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ASSUMPTIONS

Process waste not measured – a wastage factor used

ASSUMPTION 4

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ASSUMPTIONS

The methodology represents an estimate of a cradle to gate

footprint

ASSUMPTION 5

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UTILITIES

• Includes all electricity and gas• Extracted from utility bills• Excludes mains water• Excludes on site wood burners

DATA COLLECTION

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TRANSPORT

• Includes sales activities• Includes incoming components• Always assumed to be UK average

articulated lorry

DATA COLLECTION

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MATERIALS

• Derived from Bill of Materials• Where necessary components

were weighed• Assumptions made for composite

materials and complex components

DATA COLLECTION

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PACKAGING

• Derived from Bill of Materials• Where necessary packaging was

weighed• Reusable packaging not considered

DATA COLLECTION

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• Low cost on line tool• Simple drag and drop operation• Powered by Best Foot Forward

PROJECT TOOL

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• Materials, plus• Incoming transport, plus• Processing and

outsourcing, plus• Percentage of company

impact, plus• Percentage of utilities

CALCULATION

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• Methodology needed to be easy to use and low cost

• Applicable across all sectors• Cradle to gate assessment selected• A number of assumptions used to

simplify data gathering exercise

SUMMARY

Testing•Certification • Consultancy • Training • Equipment • Membership

Results

Dr. Asli Tamer Vestlund

Deputy Technical Manager

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FURNITURE SECTORS

• Bedding•

Upholstery

• Chairs• Storage• Desks

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KITCHENS

1000mm kitchen wall unit(5 products & 4 manufacturers)

500mm wall unit(9 products & 7 manufacturers

1000mm drawer line unit(4 products & 3 manufacturers)

500mm drawer line unit(8 products & 6 manufacturers)

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CARBON FOOTPRINT ANALYSIS

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DATA VARIATION ANALYSIS

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DOMESTIC - BEDDING

Double Mattress(19 products & 4 manufacturers)

Double Divans(6 products & 3 manufacturers)

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CARBON FOOTPRINT ANALYSIS

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DATA VARIATION ANALYSIS

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DOMESTIC - UPHOLSTERY

Sofa(11 products & 3 manufacturers)

Armchair(5 products & 3 manufacturers)

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CARBON FOOTPRINT ANALYSIS

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DATA VARIATION ANALYSIS

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OFFICE - CHAIRS

Task Chair(13 products & 6 manufacturers)

Visitor Chair(3 products & 3 manufacturers)

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CARBON FOOTPRINT ANALYSIS

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DATA VARIATION ANALYSIS

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OFFICE - STORAGE

Desk High Pedestal (7 products & 5 manufacturers)

Bookcase(3 products & 3 manufacturers

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CARBON FOOTPRINT ANALYSIS

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DATA VARIATION ANALYSIS

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OFFICE DESKS1600mm x 1800mm Rectangular Desk

(8 products, 6 manufacturers)

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CARBON FOOTPRINT ANALYSIS

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DATA VARIATION ANALYSIS

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CONTRACT

Dining Table(7 products & 5 manufacturers)

Dining Chair(3 products & 3 manufacturers)

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CARBON FOOTPRINT ANALYSIS

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DATA VARIATION ANALYSIS

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KEY FINDINGS

• Embodied carbon in the raw materials - most significant contributor

• The carbon impact of utility usage and transport - limited impact

Testing•Certification • Consultancy • Training • Equipment • Membership

Conclusions

Phil Reynolds

Principal Technical Manager

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KEY FINDINGS

Embedded carbon in materials is the key constituent of product footprints

Intelligent use of materials, in terms of type and quantity can have a significant impact on a products

carbon footprint

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KEY FINDINGS

Utilities have a measurable impact on a footprint.

There is scope for significant carbon, and cost savings from optimising

utility usage.

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FIVE KEY AIMS

• Methodology produced• Simplification sometimes at odds

with accuracy• Even simple process still requires

investment

To develop and critique a cost effective methodology

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FIVE KEY AIMS

• Design plays an important part• Excludes durability and end of life

Examine the viability of like for like comparisons

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FOOTPRINT VARIATION

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FIVE KEY AIMS

• Varies across sectors• Kitchens are designed around set

format• One size fits all probably not

appropriate

Identify products/sectors suitable for comparison

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FIVE KEY AIMS

• Not appropriate at current time• Cradle to Gate has limitations• Wider sustainability issues need to

be considered

Provide benchmarks

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ANEC

A static Product Carbon Footprint stand-alone label providing a total CO2 footprint on products does not

make sense and is not very relevant for consumer decision making

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FIVE KEY AIMS

• Understand footprints• Use materials effectively• Optimise utility usage• Continuous improvement• ‘Green the supply chain’

Advice to manufacturers

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FIVE KEY AIMS

• Consider supplier committed to reducing carbon impact

• Consider ISO 14001/FISP• Consider wider sustainability issues

Advice to specifiers

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CONCLUSIONS

The benchmarking of product carbon footprints in the furniture industry is not

recommended based on the methodology and findings of this study

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CONCLUSIONS

Carbon footprinting is a very useful tool for the furniture industry. The more the

furniture industry understands the make up of its products footprints the more it

can look to reduce it in targeted, intelligent and innovative ways

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PANEL DISCUSSION

ANY QUESTIONS?