The Furnitubes Sustainability Journal: Entry 2

Sustainability in practice and in principle

Entry 1 of our Sustainability Journal set out where we stand and how we got here.

This one picks up from that point, and we examine what it actually takes to translate decades of considered practice into the verified data that procurement now demands. We’re also sharing what we’re learning along the way.

A better source, closer to home

Wood-plastic composite has been part of our offer for some time, and for good reason. It’s a genuinely strong material choice: durable, low-maintenance, resistant to rot and weathering, and built to last the kind of lifespan we design for. The version we’ve been using does the job well. But it came from abroad, and that has always sat uneasily with us, given how much we think about where our materials come from.

Earlier this year, we found a UK supplier producing a carbon-neutral equivalent. Made from recycled materials, UV stable, warranted for 25 years, and recyclable multiple times over. It ticks the same boxes as before, and it ticks a couple more. The first installation using this material is now in place: Zenith Horizon benches at The Seam, Barnsley’s new digital campus. It’s a public realm scheme with real ambition, and it felt like the right place to put something new into practice.

Since waste is waste, no matter the material, we’re not making an overnight switch. Existing stock will be used up as supply transitions, which means the shift happens gradually rather than all at once.

Local sourcing is part of what makes this worth writing about. Over 80% of our raw materials already come from within a 100-mile radius of our Kent factory. Adding this supplier to that picture is a continuation of our efforts.

Our emissions baseline

In Entry 1, I mentioned that councils and contractors increasingly need carbon data before they’ll work with you, including product-level numbers, verified supply chain emissions, EPDs (Environmental Product Declarations).

We’re working towards all of that, but you can’t calculate the carbon footprint of a product accurately until you understand the carbon footprint of the business that makes it.

That’s where we are right now. We’re in the early stages of establishing our company-level carbon baseline: Scope 1 direct emissions first, then Scope 2 from the energy we use. There’s nothing definitive to report yet, but I will keep you up to speed as we make progress.

What I can say is that the sequencing matters. Once the internal baseline is established and our production planning data is automated, calculating product-level footprints becomes a practical exercise that is much more reliable than proxy values and estimates. We’re building the infrastructure to do this properly.

We’ve been making environmentally considered decisions for the best part of eight decades, and these include recycled steel, renewable energy, timber sourced for longevity, and products designed for repair. But the language those decisions now need to be expressed in is the language of carbon accounting, and learning to speak it fluently takes time. We’re getting there.

Lean: doing more with less

Furnitubes is part of the Bamuk Group, which is adopting lean and agile practices across its companies. For us, that means our manufacturing processes are being examined through a lean lens, one where we identify and eliminate waste in how we use energy, materials, space, and machinery.

The word “waste” means anything that doesn’t add value, such as unnecessary movement, overproduction, waiting time, and excess inventory. When you look at a factory floor with that perspective, the overlaps with sustainability goals become apparent quickly. Optimising how we use energy, reducing material offcuts, and getting more from existing equipment before investing in new are the same decisions, arrived at from two different directions.

We’re in the early stages of applying these principles properly. The habit of asking “where is the waste?” is one we’re building into how we work, and the results will take time to show. But we know we’re moving in the right direction, and this is encouraging.

The bell bollard on pavement at strand in London

Keeping products in use longer

Our products are designed to last a minimum of 20 years, while some, like the Bell Bollard, are designed to last considerably longer. With proper maintenance, that lifespan extends further still, which matters to the councils and communities who are responsible for those spaces long after installation.

Later this year, we plan to introduce maintenance and repair services that make it easier to achieve that extended life in practice. The detail is still being worked through, but the intent is straightforward. We view a well-maintained bench in a public space as a better outcome for the community using it, and a more responsible use of the materials and energy that went into making it.

This sits squarely within the spirit of the Procurement Act 2023, which came into force in February this year. One of the Act’s less-discussed shifts is the weight it now places on ongoing supplier performance. This goes beyond price and compliance at the point of award, and views a supplier’s track record over time. It’s a commitment to keeping products in service, documented and demonstrable, and this is exactly the kind of evidence that matters in that context.

Sustainability has always been part of how this business runs. What’s changing is our ability to demonstrate it on the terms that matter most to the people we work with. That work is ongoing.

— Catherine

Interested in following the Furnitubes sustainability journey?
Follow Catherine on LinkedIn for direct access to her updates and insights.

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The Furnitubes Sustainability Journal: Entry 2

Sustainability in practice and in principle

Entry 1 of our Sustainability Journal set out where we stand and how we got here.

A better source, closer to home

Our emissions baseline

Lean: doing more with less

Furnitubes is part of the Bamuk Group, which is adopting lean and agile practices across its companies. For us, that means our manufacturing processes are being examined through a lean lens, one where we identify and eliminate waste in how we use energy, materials, space, and machinery.

Keeping products in use longer

Sustainability has always been part of how this business runs. What’s changing is our ability to demonstrate it on the terms that matter most to the people we work with. That work is ongoing.

— Catherine

The Furnitubes Sustainability Journal: Entry 2

Sustainability in practice and in principle

Entry 1 of our Sustainability Journal set out where we stand and how we got here.

A better source, closer to home

Our emissions baseline

Lean: doing more with less

Furnitubes is part of the Bamuk Group, which is adopting lean and agile practices across its companies. For us, that means our manufacturing processes are being examined through a lean lens, one where we identify and eliminate waste in how we use energy, materials, space, and machinery.

Keeping products in use longer

Sustainability has always been part of how this business runs. What’s changing is our ability to demonstrate it on the terms that matter most to the people we work with. That work is ongoing.

— Catherine

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