The talk: Waste Not Want Not

As part of London Design Festival 2019, we curated a show of pioneering furniture companies that have each forged their own unique approach towards the sustainability movement.

For the private view of our show, 'Waste Not Want Not', we invited Zanat co-founder Orhan Nikšić, CEO of Nikari, Johanna Vuorio, Head of European Sales for Emeco, Cecilia Sebesta, and Director of CSK Architects, Dido Milne, to talk about the myriad ways they are reducing waste and maximising potential.

Chaired by editor of London Design Guide, Max Fraser, the discussion kicked off by delving into the merits of working with wood, a topic close to the hearts of both Nikari and Zanat.

"Working with wood is quite an ancient way of designing and making furniture", said Vuorio, "but at the same time it should be the way of the future".

An age-old material, wood is a natural choice for a number of design companies looking to reduce their impact on the environment. As Fraser pointed out, forests act like carbon sinks, absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. When cultivated responsibly, the emissions produced when manufacturing wood products is far outweighed by the carbon dioxide stored by the forest it came from.

But what effect does manufacturing have on the biodiversity of our forests? Milne was one of the co-designers of Cork House, a dwelling beside the River Thames constructed almost entirely with cork blocks. She explained that this was part of the inspiration behind the innovative architectural project.

"Cork oak forests are very biodiverse", Milne said. "The cork is only harvested every 9 years and then the tree is left alone and the forest is left undisturbed.

Some of the managed forests are the ones that are the most biodiverse - they're ancient landscapes, often with pasture and agriculture in amongst the cork oaks, and offer hydrological stability to the region through their root systems".

So what can be said for other materials? Ever-inventive when it comes to repurposing, Emeco’s collection has long been built on the use of metal and plastics.

"Upcycling and recycling - that’s what we’re all about", said Sebesta.

It was back in 1944 that Emeco first made use of salvaged aluminium to create the iconic Navy Chair, continuing their research over the years to include recycled PET bottles and reclaimed polypropylene in their arsenal.

Not content with using recycled materials, the company have started to look at how their furniture can be repurposed once its life cycle is over. Emeco's upcoming collection, 'On and On', uses their newest engineered version of rPet.

"We've found that the rPet can be recycled completely", said Sebesta, "so it has a chance for a third life - and without losing any strength, which I think is very important".

Being able to reuse the materials was also a key component of the design of Cork House. It was constructed without any glues or mortar and friction fit so that it can be easily disassembled.

"By stripping all the layers out of the wall and having a pure, bio-renewable material, you can recycle everything", said Milne. "You could make another building, dig it into the earth as a soil improver, or put it back into the composite cork industry, for example”.

Longevity is another key consideration when it comes to the amount of waste the furniture industry is producing. As Nikšić said:

"The frequency and the volume of use of that material, regardless of if it’s wood, has an impact. That’s why longevity is a very important question when you’re thinking about sustainability, and a consideration of ours when we prepare design briefs - how long should this product last? And of course, that's a question of not only the quality but also the aesthetic and the emotional appeal."

Of course, long-lasting materials and quality design come at a price. How do we get people on board with the idea that we need to buy into longevity and that perhaps that comes with a higher price tag?

For Sebesta, part of the answer lies in broadening our horizons.

"I think you have to have a wider platform and you have to connect with other industries", she said. "In our case, we’ve collaborated with the food industry and the fashion industry, we try to have a broader impact".

Vuorio agreed. "We need to remember that the furniture industry is huge and we (the panel members) are representing a really small amount of a five hundred and forty billion dollar industry", she said. But for the world of furniture design, the key also lies in creating products that consumers will want to use forever.

"You can make 100% sustainable, affordable products, but if no one likes it then it doesn’t help the sustainable ideology at all.

You don't need to underline the sustainable aspect, you just need it to be there. In the end, it’s really important to just bring out brilliant pieces of furniture."