KEEP GROWING
Raw materials from sustainable sources is a huge growth area, making rattan and bamboo now very much on-trend. ‘They are both extremely strong, natural materials, suitable for furniture construction that will stand the test of time, as well as being lightweight, something that works well for lighting designs,’ says Kate Butler, head of product design at Habitat.
A Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification on wooden products means the timber comes from forests that are managed to preserve the ecosystem, biodiversity and water quality.
One of the largest users of wood in the retail sector, Ikea is also a founding member of the FSC and, by August, aims to source 100% of its wood, paper and cardboard from more sustainable sources and also contribute to the FSC certification of 15 million hectares of forest – the equivalent to more than double the total area needed to supply Ikea’s manufacturing.
Other retailers also look to the FSC – a quarter of West Elm’s furniture is FSC certified and includes woods such as eucalyptus and mango. H&M Home’s Conscious
Collection features Fsc-certified acacia wood, teaming it with rattan for beautiful chairs and storage.
Sofa manufacturers, meanwhile, are investigating ways to avoid foam that ends up in landfill. The Java II sofa (and armchair) is John Lewis’s first foam-free sofa – it uses spring technology instead.
Cotton is the world’s largest non-food crop, and is traditionally pesticide heavy, with those who farm the crop earning poor levels of pay. As well as Fair Trade, the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) and Cotton Connect are working with producers to farm organically and create better working conditions.
Sainsbury’s Sleep More Sustainably range uses BCI cotton (as well as recycled plastic), while John Lewis plans to have all its own-brand cotton bedding compliant with BCI by the end of the year. Bedlinen at West Elm is certified to Organic Content Standard (OCS) and manufactured in a Fair Trade Certified facility.
Primark works with Cotton Connect and now the majority of its own-brand bedding and all of its own-brand solid colour towels are made from sustainable cotton. Last year, it announced a fivefold expansion of its cotton programme, committing to train 160,000 farmers in sustainable farming methods by 2022.