FUMAC first with the EU-Ecolabel
Press release: At the furniture manufacturer FUMAC in Vinderup, Denmark, there is a great focus on environment and sustainability. The latest initiative is a certification with the EU-Ecolabel of a selected series of office furniture, of which the desks as well as the pull-out cabinets become the first EU-Ecolabelled of its kind in Denmark.
FUMAC’s vision is to be the best at sustainable solutions. Sustainability covers many aspects where environment is inevitably an important aspect: ‘We work according to the ISO 14001 environmental management system, procure FSC® certified wood, make green accounting, recycle as much as possible and have a high focus on the environment and sustainability. That is why we are extremely happy and proud that we can now also offer office furniture that is certified with the EU-Ecolabel and we are even the first in Denmark to have sit/stand desks and pull-out cabinets that are certified with the official European Ecolabel. This shows that we are in front when it comes to being able to offer office furniture that is among the environmentally best,’ says CEO Per Susgaard.
As FUMAC’s range already complies with all environmental regulations, the eco-labelling process was straightforward, according to the CEO. Or that is, he thought so. Today, Per Susgaard is pleased that FUMAC chose to follow the advice from Ecolabelling Denmark to start up with a limited range of products:
‘It has been a long process. The EU-Ecolabel demands a lot of documentation and certificates, which we and our suppliers have had to spend a long time to obtain, and it can be a challenge to understand the sometimes bureaucratic ‘EU language’. But now we are on target and it is really nice to know that an independent third party has gone through all the documentation and we are happy to live up to the strict environmental and chemical criteria set by the Environment Directorate General of the European Commision’ says Per Susgaard.
The EU-Ecolabel also demands a 5-year product guarantee. This is because the environmental impact is biggest in production – therefore long durability contributes to limiting the impact on the environment. And this is fully in line with FUMAC’s values of creating quality and thus longer durability.
‘The degree of awareness of the EU-Ecolabel in Denmark / the Nordic countries is not as great as the Swan label, but since the two ecolabels are equated, and since FUMAC has a strategy to expand outside the Nordic region, it was obvious for us to focus on the EU-Ecolabel rather than the Swan label,’ says Per Susgaard, CEO. FUMAC has a goal of doubling its exports within the next few years, so even though the Swan may have been easier due to requirements specifications being translated and simplified, FUMAC chose to focus on the EU-Ecolabel.
It does not make the green strategy any less interesting that FUMAC already experiences increased interest in and demands for ecolabelled products from both home and abroad: ‘It is clear that the commercial aspect plays an important role for us, but most of all it is nice to have paper on that ‘small’ FUMAC helps to make a sustainable impression on our planet,’ says the proud director and continues: ‘just as it is nice to be confirmed in what we have always done, is right’.
FUMAC has so far certified sit/stand desks, storage units and pull-out cabinets. The company expects the range of eco-labeled furniture to be continuously expanded: ‘We have learned a lot from the process and are now well-prepared to continue the journey towards an even more sustainable production – in line with the UN’s World Goal # 12’, concludes the CEO Per Susgaard.
Further information: Per Susgaard, CEO, FUMAC A/S, mobile +45 40 28 70 34, ps@fumac.dk, www.fumac.dk
Facts about the EU-Ecolabel furniture
Furniture for private and professional users can be certified with the EU-Ecolabel – this applies to both furniture for indoor and outdoor use. Environmental requirements are set from a life-cycle perspective. This means that the focus is on limiting the overall environmental impact from the production, use and waste phases.
Furniture marked with the EU-Ecolabel must meet a variety of strict requirements. They ensure, inter alia:
• a high proportion of wood from certified forestry – to drive sustainable development.
• minimal content of environmentally harmful substances – to protect nature and environment.
• minimal content of harmful substances – i.a. so that the furniture does not emit harmful gases.
• Reduced release of the allergenic substance formaldehyde from wooden boards – the requirements are stricter than the law, protecting the people who make the furniture and those who use them.
• a product guarantee of 5 years – the environmental impact is greatest in production, and long durability therefore helps to reduce the impact on the environment
Read more about the Ecolabel here.
Facts about FUMAC
Number of employees: 90 employees
Factory: 18,000 m² production located in Vinderup, West Jutland, DK
Assortment: Office furniture, Home furniture and OEM / Private Label production
Turnover: Three-digit million – of which 17% exports to strategically selected countries
Read more at www.fumac.dk
Download press release FUMAC EU Ecolabel certified office furniture
Download FUMACs EU-Ecolabel Certificate DK-049-004
Image: EU-Ecolabel assortment from FUMAC A/S
