Understanding the impact of our fabrics

Part of our conscious way of working is to really understand the impact we are making so we can take informed decisions. Our goals focus on both environmental and social impact. We start our journey with targeted actions on our environmental impact. That is why we measure the footprint of our fabrics. The environmental footprint reflects the effect that our fabric has on the planet. We look at every step in our supply chain.

Understanding the impact of our fabrics

Part of our conscious way of working is to really understand the impact we are making so we can take informed decisions. Our goals focus on both environmental and social impact. We start our journey with targeted actions on our environmental impact. That is why we measure the footprint of our fabrics. The environmental footprint reflects the effect that our fabric has on the planet. We look at every step in our supply chain.

The Life Cycle

We analyze our products’ lifecycle and constantly look for opportunities to optimize our product range and our supply chain. For our analysis we divide a product life cycle in three phases.

Cradle: Our recycled fabrics are produced all across the world. In our line of (upholstery) business, we only work with suppliers who are capable of developing great sustainable products at a price-quality ratio that meets our standards. We then measure the environmental impact to make sure our footprint is being reduced significantly.

Gate: Our recycled fabrics are transported to our clients who use it for the production of their furniture or beds. Once the products are ready, they will be taken to the shops or delivered to your doorstep.

Grave: You buy your bed or sofa in the store or online. At home, follow the maintenance instructions, enjoy your purchase, and take good care of it, so it lasts longer.

For the moment, we focus on the cradle-to-gate scenario, where we can do our part by minimizing our supply chain’s footprint. We believe this focus is needed for now to ultimately reach the long-term goal of a full circular economy. In the meantime we will inspire our partners, clients and consumers to join our sustainable journey.

Our supply chain

Sustainability is quite a catch-all term. It covers a lot of ground. We believe we should focus to make measurable progress. Our focus the next couple of years will be on five main areas.

Less
energy

Manufacturing products from recycled material reduces the energy needed tremendously.

Less
water

Manufacturing products from recycled material reduces the amount of water that is needed is immensely.

Less
CO2

Producing fabrics leads to a large output of CO2, which is harmful for the environment and people working and living in the vincinity of the factories. By using recycled material, the output of CO2 from production is being reduced significantly.

Sustainable
material

For our Fabraa collection, we source fabrics that are made from recycled material, rather than from virgin material.

Workers'
rights

We care deeply under which circumstances our products are being made and what the working conditions are for people throughout our supply chains. We become BSCI members to make long-lasting improvements.

Click here for a closer look

We discovered that in our supply chain the biggest impact is made during the production of the ‘virgin’ yarns. So our first order of business is to tackle this status quo and start using more recycled materials.