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Sustainability in the furniture trade

The word sustainability is something that everyone uses, but does everybody know what it really means? Achieving sustainability requires the understanding of a cradle-to-cradle circular economy concept that only functions if multiple-actors along the entire value chain embrace it. Achieving sustainability means satisfying our current needs only on the condition that future generations are guaranteed of their livelihood. This may sound easy, but the complexity of addressing all parts of the value chain to achieve a truly sustainable economy is where many challenges still lie.

A question of choice and action

It is a question of choice and even action that is required from many actors like government, industry and consumers to achieve true sustainability.  Society needs to consider the total environmental and economical savings of promoting, investing and behaving in a way that promotes sustainability. To not do so will result in climate, human and existential threats that will be even more expensive to address.

Industry leaders have a major role to play in providing sustainable furniture alternatives, and consumers have an important role to ease the market-entry of such goods through their purchasing power. Everyone is called on to contribute to achieving the many large and small climate goals. This has ramifications for a multitude of sectors, including that of the furniture industry and furniture trade business.

(c)FgH the final furniture porotype of the SUSBIND project as an example of a sustainable bio-based product.

A matter of cost?

But how can behaviour be changed to influence sustainable the availability of consumer products and choices? Is it knowledge that shapes consumer’s decisions, or is it a matter of cost, or even a question of the options that are available? What blocks adherence to the adoption of the label and what could sustain it? Is it that leading corporate furniture manufacturers are quicker to make change ahead of government, or must they be coerced, like the smaller SMEs that find the implementation of such certification too expensive and overly complex? And essentially, what are the benefits and the return on investment for companies?

The BBI-JU and Horizon 2020 SUSBIND project has published a White Paper based around a survey of furniture industry participants and consumers that addressed multiple aspects of advancing on the framework proposal of the revision of the EU Ecolabel which has been described as a “patchwork of regulatory instruments”.

Many of the questions mentioned above are addressed in the SUSBIND survey responses that provide an insight into the thinking behind the possible behaviour of industry and consumer participants. The survey’s questionnaire considered the many European Union Parliamentary initiatives and research papers already in existence to further understand where the barriers, benefits and opportunities lie for certified sustainable products within the EU.

There are many progressive global furniture and industry manufacturers that are advanced in their sustainability goals. Responsible corporate sustainability governance is essential to influence multiple stakeholders, especially the smaller companies they source from. Increasingly, consumers and industry gatekeepers are demanding sustainable product options. It is here that entrepreneurs are challenged to derive the “right” action from this. The good news that came out of the SUSBIND White Paper survey is that two thirds of European consumers are prepared to pay more for sustainable furniture.

(C) IKEA furniture production process

In this regard, there are many opportunities to support sustainability — in the respective companies, in products and production, and along the entire value chain. The furniture trade and retail in general have important key functions here. It is here that decisions are made as to what is offered to the end customer — what, when, where and how. It is here that prices and conditions are set, and decisions are made as to what happens to unusable and expired goods. This is where joint government and industry initiatives can make a difference to support a circular economy and the standards set out in eco-labels.

An essential element for the furniture industry is to support sustainable decisions that can make a climate positive difference by deciding:  what materials to use and source; how the product can be designed and conceived to assist up-cycling at the end-of-use date; extend the lifespan of the product; demand the repairability of products; and increase the recyclable potential.

On this subject, EU specifications and targets — such as an eco-label — certainly can be useful aids, or act as a guideline. However, the innovative power and freedom of companies and industries, as well as competitiveness should not be prevented or restricted. An eco-label used throughout Europe would have to appeal to the customer and the advantages would have to be communicated accordingly in public campaigns. It would also need to be supported by all European countries.

Of course, every company within the furniture sector has many other possibilities to act sustainably, for example: emission-free buildings and vehicle fleets; sourcing from regional supply chains, if possible; further training of employees on these topics; the use of recycled and natural materials, and much more. Thinking and working in cycles — cradle to cradle — should be defined as a goal to take and reach.

SUSBIND is a good example of an EU project that helps seed and implement sustainable concepts for formaldehyde-free bio-based binders for building products and furniture. The SUSBIND White Paper survey shows that industry, trade and end customers increasingly are thinking and acting more sustainably which is completely in line with the objectives of the EU Green Deal. It also shows that many people are not even aware of the health risks that some furniture and building products contain.

Europe and products of the future

Therefore, it is also an imperative for us as representatives of the furniture trade and EU projects to deal with sustainability in all its possibilities and opportunities, but also to address the challenges. Achieving this is not about one big step, but about many small steps that can and must be taken by all parties. A good way to promote the Ecolabel would be to provide more educational campaigns across Europe to make the symbol and what it stands for recognizable. An overwhelming 78% of respondents said this. Additionally, support should be given to smaller companies – suppliers, producers and even waste companies – across the entire value chain to enable the Ecolabel criteria to be adopted and valued. Consumers also need to demand more Ecolabel products.

We are still at the beginning of a long journey. Achieving this is a massive, complex endeavour that will require less talk, more action, and even flexibility, to ensure that the road becomes a wheel of cradle-to-cradle circular sustainability. We at SUSBIND, FENA and RTDS will make our contribution. Together we can do it!

Mikael Muegge, Senior Manager RTDS Association

Roman Eberharter, President of FENA – European Federation for Furniture Retailers

The final version of the SUSBIND Industry-led White-Paper for EU Ecolabel Criteria for Wooden Furniture Revision is now available here.

Briefing: Initial Appraisal of a European Commission Impact Assessment

The main objective of the SUSBIND project was to produce and test bio-based adhesives in an industrially relevant environment (TRL 5) as an alternative to formaldehyde-based adhesives currently used in the manufacture of wood-based panels. Within the SUSBIND project, work package 2 applies new and greener conversion technologies for the production of adhesives and intermediates and as well technologies using non-added formaldehyde ingredients, which might be a future long-term requirement from legislation point of view.

The production and validation of the most promising adhesives at pilot scale were then done with leading wood board manufactures;

• Egger (Austria) producing P2 particle board (PB) and;
• Valbopan (Portugal) producing medium density fibre board (MDF) and as well thin high density fibre board (HDF).

As a final step, the boards with the most promising SUSBIND adhesive formulation* was evaluated by IKEA with respect to technical and emissions requirements when used in a typical example of IKEA furniture.

The final, visual result of the SUSBIND project (c)IKEA

An important final, overall result of the project is that a SUSKET box has been produced. This small furniture has been shown at different conferences (International Conference on Wood Adhesives in Portland, USA in May 2022, and the SUSBIND Final Conference, others to come) and seminars and is testimony of that boards made of quite a high content of biomaterials in the adhesive (up to 80% by mass and 60% by carbon) can be used for producing a flat package furniture with characteristic post treatments.

It is advised to look for alternative crosslinker that has a lower carbon footprint, greater availability, and cheaper prices as the SUSBIND adhesive idea (fructose+ HMF/BHT) has a less desirable carbon footprint and poor availability of the BHT crosslinker. Moreover, it would also be of priority to, in a potential next step of the project, look deeper into a crosslinker from renewable resources (“biobased crosslinker”).

The technical properties of the SUSBIND adhesive are however promising, although we do not yet know the feasibility in industrial environment (press factor). The lab scale testing indicates however good properties at 10 sec/mm press factor and OK also for 8 sec/mm, which at least give some hope to manage up to half of that pressing time in industrial scale, which is needed.

Further investigation is also required to determine how the SUSBIND adhesive manages to attain such significant (relatively observed) acetic acid emissions. Could these emissions be reduced by changing to another crosslinker or are they (also) related to the wood source and/or press schedule used etc.?

Overall, the SUSKET box has reached a number of important technical board requirements for industry and IKEA. Additional research and developments are needed to ensure a full compliance and fulfilment of all the requirements. The boards manufactured on a small scale and in a prototype final product, the SUSBIND adhesive has displayed promising technical performance (at Technology Readiness Level, TRL 5). The technological development of the SUSBIND adhesive shows promising perspectives for the future.

SUSBIND Industry-led White Paper on EU Furniture Ecolabel revision

Within the framework of the project, SUSBIND partners have developed an industry-led white paper on the . Criteria 049 of the EU Ecolabel addresses multiple aspects of furniture products beyond the scope of the SUSBIND project. Accordingly, the recommendations and statements in this white paper focus solely on the European market for wood-based panels and adhesive used in furniture production.

The research paper includes an extensive survey on the above-mentioned subject and addresses multiple stakeholders, from producers of wood, adhesives, and other materials, to producers of wood-based panels, furniture retailers and manufacturers. and last but not least, it provides valuable data to consumers. The survey was conducted by RTDS in close co-operation with the European Furniture Industries Confederation (EFIC), the European Federation for Furniture (FENA), the European Office Furniture Federation (FEMB) as well as with national organisations. It included 2,000 interviewees from the general public within four countries: Sweden, Spain, Poland and Germany, representing the geographical North, South, East and West respectively.

The white paper focuses on the following topics:

• The relevance of the EU Ecolabel from both industry and consumer’s perspectives
• The expectations from industry and consumers towards EU Ecolabel
• The limitations or barriers to uptake of the EU Ecolabel in the furniture industry
• The specific recommendations to contribute to a new EU ecolabelling strategy for the furniture industry, with emphasis on the following themes:
• Hazardous substances and indoor air quality
• Wood sourcing
• Carbon footprint recyclability and waste management

SUSBIND survey results

One of the most interesting survey results is the fact that the consumers are willing to pay more for certified sustainable and healthy furniture products once they were made aware of their health and environmental benefits. Moreover, it is highly interesting that the responses before and after the survey differed in favour of “willing to pay even more” once they received more information on sustainable healthy products and after increasing their awareness of the benefits certified products offer.

Also, interestingly enough the interviewees had a relatively little knowledge of formaldehyde emissions related to furniture, and the majority showed great interest in EU Ecolabel providing more information about the certified products.

For more detailed survey results download the full presentation here: SUSBIND_Summary of B2C survey

The final version of the SUSBIND industry-led White Paper for the EU Ecolabel revision is now available here.

As the climate changes, the furniture of the future will have to be sustainable, multi-functional and efficient. Nowadays, the wood board industry relies heavily on fossil-based binders that contain formaldehyde. Having the circular economy in mind, there have been many initiatives to produce alternative binders from renewable resources, but a bio-based binder at industrial scale does not yet exist.

SUSBIND’s collaborative partnership consisting of six research and five industry partners was able to develop a bio-based binder for the manufacture of interior particleboards and medium density fibreboard (MDF).

SUSBIND Consortium members at Valbopan factory, in Nazaré, Portugal

Major scientific results

SUSBIND partners experimented with crops such as natural side streams, surplus carbohydrates, plant oils and fats to convert them into a bio-based chemical composition binder.

SUSBIND researchers developed a binder that is 80% renewable and based on sugar, and 20% based on a crosslinker that is synthetic.

Wood K plus scientists meet industrial partners of Cargill

The scientific work focused on two main topics: First, on developing enzymatic technology for epoxidising complex mixtures of fatty acids obtained from vegetable oils and second, on developing a carbohydrate-based pathway for binder production. The most effective green raw material for reactive intermediates has proven to be carbohydrates. Different binder compositions were tested in laboratory experiments.  The most promising binders comprised fructose, HMF and hexamethylenediamine (HMDA) and bishexamethylenetriamine (BHT) as amine crosslinkers.

In simple terms, the outcome is a sugar-based binder that we obtain from surplus and sustainable feedstock from European bio-refineries. Because 80% of the sugar-based binder is derived from biomass, wood-based boards can be almost entirely made from renewable resources.

Industrial contribution: PB and MDF testing and production

The binder was also tested at a lab-scale for binder characteristics such as viscosity, solid content and pH, bonding strength development, pressing times and temperatures, strength and curing speed being the most important qualities. SUSBIND industry partners produced the particleboards and MDF boards. Further validation of the produced SUSBIND-bonded boards was undertaken by producing a prototype furniture (TRL5) by IKEA of Sweden. The sustainable prototype box “SUSKET” was inspired by the IKEA’s famous EKET.

Most important technical results suggest the following:

• PB boards are comparable to UF-bonded ones in terms of internal bond strength and press time.
• The SUSBIND particleboards surpassed the requirements of the European standard EN312, class P2
• MDF optimisation was possible even with 8% binder and was in line with European regulations in terms of density, flexion, elasticity, internal bond, humidity resistance and deflection resistance need further optimisation in the formulation.

The SUSBIND project sets the collaboration framework as well as the technical solution for the future of bio-based binders for furniture. Up to 80% of the bulk of the SUSBIND binder is made up of renewable materials. It has a lower impact on human health and it is formaldehyde-free.

The SUSBIND renewable binder is expected to lead to lower emissions and improve the air we breathe in our houses and offices. Health impact is expected to be about 40 to 55% lower than that of Ureafolrmaldehyde boards.

Further reduction of 5% in carbon footprint is envisaged, which should improve the quality of our environment and life on the planet.

It is also very likely that further research could achieve even more carbon footprint reduction.

On the left a SUSBIND MDF board produced by Valbopan and on the right a SUSKET box produced by IKEA

A Way into the future

After four years of research and cooperation between industry and science the SUSBIND partners were able to develop a binder that is made of 80% renewable materials. It is formaldehyde-free and has a lower impact on human health. The SUSBIND project sets the collaboration framework and the technical solution for the future of bio-based binders for furniture. Now is Europe’s chance to capitalize on the exciting untapped potential shown by the SUSBIND results.

SUSBIND was set out to have a dream to deliver something sustainable for future generations. With the cooperation of the partners, and many stakeholders along the value chain, we have come a long way to make that dream a game changing reality in the future.

The 12th International Conference on Wood Adhesives  (ICWA) was successfully held May 11-13, 2022 in Portland, Oregon, USA with the active contribution of the SUSBIND Team, represented by Wood K Plus, Cargill, IKEA and the Project Coordinator RTDS.

@IKEA produced the SUSKET box

This premier technical conference on advances in the adhesion of wood and biomass is held ever 3-4 years, and due to the pandemic, it was the first conference since 2017.Delegates from around the world gathered and attended this 3-day event investigating and discussing the latest developments from the world of adhesives.

SUSBIND, an EU funded Horizon/Biobased Industries Joint Undertaking funded research and innovation project in collaboration of six research and five industrial partners has made substantial progress in developing highly sustainable bio-based binders. It is envisaged that these binders will in future replace the conventional fossil-based ones currently used for wood-based panel boards in furniture mass products.

In the framework of the project, SUSBIND showcased the innovative solutions in terms of novel technologies, both for the enzymatic conversion of lipids and thermo/chemical conversion of carbohydrates which are scalable and applicable in numerous industrial relevant environments.

The results were impressively demonstrated in the first prototype product based on the successful EKET range of IKEA.  This “SUS-EKET” has zero formaldehyde and uses bio-based binders from carbohydrates and vegetable oils.  Both integrated particle boards from Egger and MDF units from Valbopan were utilised.

Due to the key ingredients and due to the pressing the boards show a slightly darker colour compared to commercial boards. “This “Feature” – is a sign of proof of the bio based nature of the boards” says Mikael Muegge Senior Manager at RTDS.

The SUSBIND binder aims at containing a significantly lower carbon footprint, and reducing formaldehyde emissions, and thus making a meaningful contribution in improving the public health and helping mitigate climate change. Hand in hand with the EU’ Green Deal targets, SUSBIND also provides cutting-edge clean technological innovation by converting carbohydrates and vegetable oils to binder precursors by “mild” technologies.

Accordingly, SUSBIND under the management of Stephen Webb and Mikael Muegge (RTDS) held a 30-minute podium discussion with leading industry and scientific experts  Manfred Dunky, Massimo Bregola from Cargill, Erik van Herwijnen from Wood K plus and Venla Hemmilä from Inter IKEA Group fostering international dialogue between stakeholders identifying the criteria, opportunities and constraints to successfully produce and market net zero emission furniture. In this framework, SUSBIND showcased its key findings and results and the relevance these innovations (e.g. formaldehyde free products) have in the EU and USA.

@RTDS: Venla Hemmilä of IKEA and Massimo Bregola of Cargill at the Conference.

Looking at the critical point in the movement towards Net Zero Furniture the group looked at three key aspects, namely sourcing, production and marketability of such novel solutions.
In terms of sourcing Massimo Bregola from Cargill, made it clear that key aspects such as availability of raw materials and their limitations, food vs non-food sources and their relationship going forward are key priorities.

Manfred Dunky, leading industry expert added that the question of availability has two levels: for niche products for the start to implement this technology, and at an all industrial scale which requires very different parameters, some of which may not even exist in Europe.

For Venla Hemmilä from Inter IKEA Group these initiatives are clear game changers

For IKEA “sustainable furniture” have the potential to be a “game changer”. It is clear that a number of steps needs to be done by the various stakeholder groups to enable these advancements to be part of a pivotal moment.