Earth Day | Our Sustainability Journey

This Saturday, 22nd April, is Earth Day. Launched as an annual celebration to honour the environmental movement and raise awareness of protecting the earth’s resources for the next generation.

Like most manufacturers, we have a way to go to become completely green and environmentally friendly. However, as we are conscious about our impact on the world around us, we are now, more than ever, extremely considered in our methods, materials and mindset when we design, make and deliver our garden furniture. If you’d like to know a little more about our sustainability programme, here are a few ways in which we are doing our part to make a difference.

For now. For the future.

First and foremost, we design all our furniture to last. We choose materials which stay looking in great condition, year after year. Whether it’s an outdoor furniture set, lounger or parasol, each item is intended to be used time and time again. We are trend aware, not trend led, because we focus on form and function, not fashion, in efforts to discourage the throwaway nature of fast furniture. It’s important to us that we create high quality products that stand the test of time, simultaneously providing confidence to our customers and protection for our planet. And when the furniture is finally finished with, it can be recycled, ready to start life again as something new.

Plastic with Purpose

According to the European Commission website, single-use plastic has a hugely negative impact on our environment, our health and is more likely to find its way into our oceans than recycled materials. Our Eco-Cushion covers, are made with yarn spun from recycled plastic bottles, and now make up most of our furniture textiles. Helping reduce the vast amount of single-use plastic going into landfill every year.

Mindful Materials

Timber has always been an integral part of gardens and garden furniture. Teak garden furniture is a long-standing staple, and this doesn’t look to change anytime soon. However, for the future of our forests, it’s important that we are adopting this material sensibly, and sustainably, to avoid unnecessary impact on forests for future generations. According to the Forest Stewardship Council, forest help regulate our cliate by absorbing and retaining carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Today the destruction of forests accounts for at least 10 per cent of annual carbon emissions. That’s why all our teak timber furniture is sustainably sourced, to ensure we are respecting our natural resources.

Tree-Free tabletops look like natural wood but are in fact made from ceramic. This innovative material helps us along our journey towards lower impact products in two ways. It increases the lifespan of our tabletops by allowing damaged sections to be replaced, rather than relinquished, and reduces our need for total reliance on natural wood to create our garden furniture.

Our synthetic rattan is made from a high quality, recyclable polyethylene and the majority of our furniture is built on aluminium frames. Aluminium is 100% recyclable and doesn’t lose quality during the process. Much of the aluminium ever produced is still in use today.

Sowing the Seed

In partnership with Ecologi we plant a tree for every furniture set we sell. That’s over 60,000 trees so far and counting. Through this programme we are supporting carbon offset projects and contributing towards a more sustainable environment in the future.

Promise of Progress

The most important thing we can do is make a genuine commitment to care. Keep moving forward. And take steady steps in every part of the business we can. Paper-free headquarters, recyclable packaging in our deliveries and making our suppliers and partners aware of our sustainability policy, encouraging them to act with consideration of the environment.