What is Sustainability?

In today’s eco-friendly society you have probably heard the term sustainability referenced at least once but still may not know exactly what sustainability really is and why it is so important to organizations, manufacturers, businesses, industry leaders (such as Fermob), and to people—like you.

Over time, sustainability has proven to be so much more than a trendy “Go Green” catchphrase that may or may not catch your attention. Defined as the avoidance of the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance, the sustainability of 2020 and beyond is not a highlighted trend, but instead, a concentrated, intentional and necessary effort to preserve our resources today while protecting our environment for tomorrow.

Now that we know what sustainability really is, let’s discuss why in more recent times there has been such a drastic increased need for it.

Why the Increased Need for Sustainability?

As of 2018, our population was 7.59 billion people and is expected to exceed approximately 10.87 billion by 2100 according to a global population forecast by the United Nations.

While the population is steadily increasing, resources are steadily depleting, pollution is on the rise, and global warming has contributed to a rise in wild forest fires and other natural calamities.

This rapid increase in population, heavy pollution, drastic climate change, accompanied by a decreasing supply of natural resources amidst a global pandemic suggests sustainability is no longer an option but now a necessary obligation of accountability.

How does Fermob Contribute to Sustainability?

Fermob provides sustainable products that also allow our consumers to be a part of our sustainable efforts and contribute to an eco-friendly environment.

As a leading part of the furniture industry, Fermob is no exception in being held accountable to improve our surroundings and preserving our natural resources. Fermob continues to make intentional strides in our role of contributing towards authentic, environmental improvement through long term sustainability.

Some of Fermob’s efforts towards sustainability include:

- Furniture is designed for natural environments and most Fermob products are made of an environmentally friendly choice, steel or aluminum of which 98% is recycled worldwide. The powder paints used by Fermob contain no solvents and are 100% recycled and recyclable. They are applied in a zero-waste facility, with multiple successive steps for guaranteed outdoor use.

- Selects only the most rigorous suppliers in terms of sustainable development for Outdoor Technical Fabrics (OTF). These suppliers committed itself to a unique, patented recycling process – Texyloop® – which guarantees that 100% of the fabric constituents are recycled.

- Participates in the Eco-Emballages (“Eco-Packaging”) program which is designed to minimize waste in packaging. In addition, optimizing energy consumption remains one of Fermob’s key concerns, as regularly demonstrated through concrete action such as regular reductions in the temperature of our paint ovens (-50°F in 25 years), using low consumption baking (-10%), and investing in a new painting line, saving 8 tons of powder per year.

- Fermob USA Recently joined the Carbon Offset Program by our international shipping company, Flexport. Flexport partners with CarbonFund.org to offset carbon emissions and also calculates the Co2 per shipment. Fermob has agreed to help offset this carbon emission primarily done through planting trees, supporting other carbon-neutral energy initiatives such as wind energy, and converting landfill methane to energy. Fermob has also joined the carbon offset program for UPS small package.

- Proud member of the Sustainable Furnishings Council, a non-profit coalition of manufacturers and retailers that are dedicated to raising awareness and reducing the environmental footprint.

In 2017, Fermob USA was honorably recognized as the fourth manufacturer to earn Gold Exemplary Recognition by the Sustainable Furnishings Council (SFC) for its deep environmental commitment and exemplary implementation of a range of best practices and achievements for sustainability.

Sustainability in Summary

Fermob recognizes the overall benefits of sustainability and in turn, our diligent efforts have been recognized by the industry.

Even with passionate endeavors, we know there is still no easy, quick fix for the current global environmental changes and the rapid depletion of natural resources. However, we also know that with intentional, consistent participation in programs towards sustainability, we can be a part of the process of finding more innovative and permanent solutions.

Purchasing of Fermob’s products is more than consumerism; it is preparing for our future and making a conscious step towards the preservation of natural resources, environmental improvements, and an overall commitment to sustainability which is an overall commitment to you.

Sources:

1. Erin Duffin, “Population – Statistics & Facts”, Jan 28, 2020

2. Fermob USA, “Eco-Friendly Furniture”, 2020

3. org, 2020

4. World Health Organization, “Global Environmental Change”, 2020