SUSTAINABILITY
In the UK, it is estimated that a massive 22 million pieces of furniture are thrown away every year. 22 million.
A lot of this waste can't be recycled, and so ends up on landfill sites or gets incinerated, which sends plumes of damaging fumes into the atmosphere. With the rise of replaceable and economical furniture, only a small percentage of people really think about how their belongings came to be, or where they will end up.
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At Figure, we think its fundamental that environmental responsibility plays a part in the design and manufacture of our furniture. It's everybody's duty to make sure that their ecological footprint is no bigger than it needs to be, and by investing in pieces that have a much longer expected lifespan and are made from sustainable materials that are environmentally sympathetic, you can do your part in being responsible too.
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We only use FSC certified timber products with a fully transparent chain of custody from the forest to the front room, so we know exactly where all our materials come from. We also try to limit our use of non recyclables such as MFC (Melamine Faced Chipboard) and MDF, although the latter is made up of around 60% post-consumer recycled timber from Irish sawmills.
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All of our solid timber comes from sustainable sources too. Often a young forest produces 1.07 tons of oxygen and absorbs 1.47 tons of carbon dioxide for every ton of wood produced, and so this sequestration of greenhouses gases make solid timber one of the most effective 'green' materials available.
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We try to use 0% VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) paints where possible, which are safer not just for the environment but for your health too. These paints are low odour and the level of toxic emission is reduce significantly when compared to solvent or plasticised products, resulting in less allergy-inducing particles and a cleaner, more healthy air quality.
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The wood finishes we favour for our exposed timber projects are formulated using a mix of renewable vegetable oils and natural waxes, resulting in a very low VOC content and allowing the natural beauty of timber to be enhanced without the use of harmful chemicals off-gassing into your home.
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The small things matter too, so we limit the use of lithium battery tools in the workshop in favour of good old fashioned mains power. Around 42% of the UK's electricity comes from renewable sources, so almost half of the power we use in the workshop is guilt-free!
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