The FSC Furniture Awards, created by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) to reward FSC-certified companies in the indoor and outdoor furniture sectors, has announced its winners.
The awards ceremony took place online and the winners in six award categories and five special awards were announced by a jury composed by representatives of FSC national offices from the 11 competing countries, including Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Poland, San Marino, Serbia, Slovenia, and United Kingdom.
The ceremony event was preceded by a round table on the use of wood from certified sources, which was attended by representatives of FSC International, international NGOs, forest owners, retailers and journalists, and moderated by designer and BBC star Oliver Heath.
The first two editions of the awards in 2019 and 2020, which covered only Italy, awarded twenty companies operating in the wood-furniture sector. The first-ever European edition in 2021, follows the positive trend of an increasing number of furniture businesses becoming FSC-certified. As of November 2021, one fourth of over 20,000 companies in FSC-certified European supply chains belong to the indoor or outdoor furniture sectors.
According to FSC, countries with the highest number of FSC-certified companies producing furniture are Poland (861), United Kingdom (746) and Italy (602). These numbers go hand in hand with a growing demand for products of sustainable origin. A new research conducted by Globescan on behalf of FSC International reports that 84% of consumers expect companies to ensure that the wood or paper products they sell are not contributing to deforestation. This new report is part of FSC’s efforts to understand how forests, people and markets are responding to global changes.
Jeremy Harrison, chief markets officer at FSC International, commented: “FSC works in close collaboration with furniture manufacturers, brands and retailers to help them develop their supply chains, increase awareness about sustainable forestry and its benefits, and communicate their commitment to FSC certification. The positive results of these collaborations are confirmed in the research findings from Globescan.”
Below is the list of winners for each category of the 2021 edition:
Home-living: Composad, based in Viadana, Italy, with Velata bed systems
Home-office: Melaco, from Nowa Sól, Poland, specialising in components for furniture design
Office furniture: Hammerbacher, from Neumarkt, Germany, whose furniture for small and large workspaces is all FSC-certified
Public space furniture: Schäfer Trennwandsysteme, based in Horhausen, Germany, is a manufacturer of water closet partitions, changing cubicles and checkroom lockers for public spaces
Outdoor furniture for home: Roda, from Gavirate, Italy, with wooden Orson sun loungers
Outdoor furniture for public spaces: Community Products (UK), based in East Sussex, UK, for its environmentally-friendly outdoor furniture and play equipment for toddlers. This company was also awarded the special Green award for its sustainability policy.
Special award for CSR policies: Buoyant Upholstery, based in Lancashire, UK
Special award for communication: Stosa, from Italy, was recognised for its commitment to promoting FSC values
Special award for the best FSC labelling: Calligaris, from Udine, Italy, for labelling its design products
Award for small businesses: Cantarutti, based in Udine, Italy
Special mention: Era Grupa, from Vinkovci, Croatia, for its dedication to the procurement of FSC-certified inputs
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