EDGE Launches Sustainable Online Marketplace

Due to the demand of eco-friendly materials in the building and interior sector, EDGE launched the marketplace to guide traffic of sustainable shoppers for home projects or large-scale construction builds to one destination where they can browse multiple brands across a variety of categories.

It accompanies EDGE showroom in Marylebone where most items can be seen, felt and tested before buying online.

To find out more, please visit www.edgelondon.eco

If you’d like to feature your project news here, get in touch to find out more. 

If you’d like to become SBID Accredited, click here for more information.

Biophilia can be defined as an inherent human desire to connect with the natural world and elements of Arteriors’ interior décor encourage this. Biophilic design isn’t just trendy from an aesthetic perspective – surrounding ourselves with nature has additional benefits elevating our mood and creating a holistic environment.

In residential design, a biophilic environment can encourage relaxation and a separation from bustling outside life. In an office space, benefits include increased productivity and creativity. In both instances, including elements of nature into the design of a room boosts overall physical and mental health.

Natural materials are the obvious addition and just one of the ways we can ensure we are benefitting from mother nature’s touch. Materials such as rattan, wicker, and various woods are great additions and can be used in furniture, lighting and accessory design. Season upon season we’ve seen more brands offering designs that integrate natural weaves and raffias, making it easier for designers and their clientele to create a grounded, organic décor scheme.

The positive influence on people is paired with the sustainable credentials of using these materials. Inherently biodegradable and regenerative, the resulting products are crafted with the future in mind.

Striving to further our connection with nature, our design team has endeavoured to include additional materials such as corn husk, coconut shell and abaca fibres that give a varied aesthetic but provide the same benefits. We’ve always wanted to ensure we honour the ingenuity of master artisans, where skills are passed down from generation to generation – particularly in places such as Southeast Asia, where the incredible artistry has inspired our collection of natural materials where we’ve weaved in inventive details (pun intended). Combining contemporary form with rich texture and traditional craftsmanship evokes a warm, welcoming aesthetic.

Another key element to consider is the colours used in a space – neutral tones, and earthy hues are grounding and provide an effective canvas to incorporate additional elements of biophilic design. Pops of green are also proven to reduce heart rate and promote calm whether selected as a key colour in furniture choice or across a statement wall.

Final additions make a world of difference, with planters and hanging baskets, dried flowers and fresh posies quite literally adding an element of the living natural world. More than aesthetic, plants and flowers work like gentle air purifiers moderating temperature, humidity and levels of toxins present to create a more pleasant living environment.

Key to a positive outlook and beneficial to health in all senses of the word, it’s no wonder designers are keeping this as a priority for residential, commercial and hospitality design. Each season, we want to make sure we’re creating products that work with, not against the environment and encourage biophilic living.

If you’d like to feature your product news here, get in touch to find out more. 

If you’d like to become SBID Accredited, click here for more information.

KI has confirmed that Postura+ will begin a transition to a circular economy, with all one-piece chairs manufactured from December 2022 set to contain at least 30% recycled polypropylene.

Following over 3 years of trials and testing, this achievement sets an important milestone on KI’s journey towards taking a leading position in the circular economy. Over the coming years, KI will work towards increasing this percentage to future milestones 50, 80 and ultimately 100%, bringing all standard colours into line with the increasingly popular Jet Black chairs which are already made with 100% recycled content.

The unique, UK-based supply chain development will see 600 tonnes per year of waste plastic being fed into the standard production process, the equivalent of over 2,000,000 food containers per annum. These new mixed virgin/recycled polypropylene chairs have been rigorously tested and have achieved the same certifications and standards as the fully virgin plastic chairs, so the unparalleled, proven Postura+ 20-year warranty remains in place.

Jonathan Hindle, President, KI EMEA comments: “We manufacture approximately 400,000 one-piece Postura+ chairs alone each year, making it one of our most successful and high-volume product lines. Eliminating 600 tonnes of virgin polypropylene from this supply chain demonstrates our commitment to realistic, impactful steps towards sustainable practices, without compromising colour options, quality, durability and warranties.”

Jeremy McWhinney, KI’s Finance & Operations Director adds: “Whilst other products in our lives have been able to utilise recycled polypropylene for years, they are routinely single or limited use items – Postura+ chairs must withstand the toughest learning environments for decades. The testing and production processes involved have been years in the making, and we look forward to continuing our journey towards our ambition of 100% recycled content in the future.”

This innovation in Postura+ chair production further enhances the product’s environmental performance, outlined in its independently verified Environmental Product Declaration (EPD). Manufactured in the UK, these chairs are transported in 100% recyclable packaging, and are themselves 100% recyclable at their end of life.

Alison Mallett, KI Europe’s Director of Education Furniture comments: “Our customers both in the UK and across Continental Europe are looking for ways to reduce the environmental impact of their procurement practices, without adding unrealistic cost or compromising quality. What we’ve managed to achieve with Postura+ chairs is a fantastic step in the right direction and we are confident that this exciting news will be met with great enthusiasm from our customers.”

The Sustainable Design Summit (SDS) brings together brand owners, designers, and trusted suppliers from across cruise, hotel, and aircraft interiors to cross-pollinate ideas alongside leading sustainability experts.

Taking place on 29 November 2022 at The Brewery London, SDS is the first event of its kind to unite these three sectors to discuss sustainability as it dominates conversations and market drivers.

In just one day, delegates will gain actionable insights from the panels of experienced practitioners, discover a showcase of intrinsically green products, and come away with a framework for tangible steps to take into their next interior design project.

Siminetti has announced a partnership with Plastiks, whose mission is to connect people around the world to fight global plastic pollution. Plastiks is a recovery-guarantee marketplace that enables sponsorship of projects in a new initiative to help reduce plastic waste in the environment. In line with its ethos to produce products that are sustainable and natural, Siminetti, is working with Plastiks to prevent plastic waste from invading the oceans, while improving the quality of life of local communities involved in collecting plastic.

Siminetti works with the world’s leading interior designers, architects and private individuals to offer Freshwater and Saltwater Mother of Pearl luxury mosaics and decorative panels in a range of colours, styles and patterns. Their Saltwater pearl is sourced from Pacific communities who depend on sustainable relationships with ocean lagoons; the shells are a bi-product of the food and pearl industry, which Siminetti sources directly, using shells that would otherwise be discarded.

Under the Plastiks initiative, for every m2 of Siminetti product sold, a kilo of plastic will be recovered from the ocean, which provides communities with additional income, while creating a circular economy model, around recycling the ocean harvested waste and upcycling it into new products.

Plastiks launched earlier this year as the world’s first utility NFT dedicated to revolutionising the fight against plastic waste. Each NFT created uses data to certify that a corresponding amount of plastic has been recovered, thus ensuring that it does not end up in the environment.

About the project

Siminetti has chosen, via Plastiks, to specifically support the Second Life project; a social enterprise in Southern Thailand that teams up with coastal communities to collect plastic waste from the sea. The objective is to provide those communities with additional income, while creating a circular economy model, around recycling the ocean harvested waste and upcycling it into new products. It’s known that plastic can have many lives beyond the single use given to it and that’s the goal of Second Life project, which aims to maximise social impact by engaging in geographies where waste infrastructure is underdeveloped.

All of these environmentally beneficial investments are showcased using Plastiks’ Sustainability Dashboard, a real time view of plastic recovery that clients can view via the Siminetti website. Clients will receive a certificate that provides information about the amount of plastics recovered by the project on their behalf.

Simon Powell, CEO of Siminetti, said: ‘Our collaboration with Plastiks represents an additional and powerful step in our joint goals of sustainability and regeneration. In conjunction with Plastiks and our chosen project, Second Life, we have a unique opportunity to reveal the value of plastic, share this with our clients and together make a direct impact in the effort to stop ocean plastic pollution.

The NFTs allow our clients to directly contribute to the global fight against plastic waste and improve the lives of the people on the ground. I am immensely proud that Siminetti is able to work with these groups through this fantastic project’.

Andre Vanyi-Robin, CEO of Plastiks, said, ‘We’re delighted that Siminetti has chosen Plastiks to help it lead the way in sustainable living and plastic recovery. We hope to expand our network of companies across the globe who are dedicated to reducing the amount of single-use plastic ending up in the environment, while enabling them to demonstrate to their stakeholders that they are fully committed to tracking, measuring and fighting plastic waste’.

Siminetti is committed to the climate action agenda and this initiative with Plastisks allows them to address plastic pollution as part of their sustainability journey. The company will now have its positive footprint recorded and openly available in the marketplace, to be shared with its customers and the global community.

If you’d like to feature your product news here, get in touch to find out more. 

If you’d like to become SBID Accredited, click here for more information.

Considering the fact that carbon emissions from buildings and construction constitute almost 40 percent of global carbon emissions, knowledge of a building’s environmental impact is becoming key to enable the construction industry to work towards the necessary green transformation. Accordingly, a number of states have already established national lifecycle carbon limits for new or public buildings. Some states require carbon reporting as a minimum standard, while others have generally enacted more stringent requirements for new construction projects.

Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) are considered by the European Commission as a suitable means of evaluating the sustainability of a building since the materials and products used in it significantly determine a building’s impact on the environment. In order to provide its customers with transparency regarding the ecological footprint of its products, the sanitary brand GROHE will release EPDs for 18 product groups that cover more than 600 single products by the end of October. The first batch, published at the end of July 2022, includes basin and kitchen mixers, thermostats, and shower rail sets. A second wave will follow by the end of October 2022 and will comprise special fittings, hand showers, installation systems and flush plates.

“With the launch of EPDs for a wide range of our portfolio, we offer our customers easy orientation and transparent comparison options with regard to the life cycle assessment of our products. On this basis, they can make informed statements about the environmental impact of buildings, which is often a cornerstone for sustainability certifications such as DGNB, LEED or BREEAM, or even a prerequisite for new building permits in many European cities. With increasing pressure on the construction industry to make buildings ever more sustainable, information of this kind will be a selection criterion for products in the future, on a level with price, design or quality,” says Jonas Brennwald, Leader, LIXIL EMENA.

Transparency to promote sustainable construction projects

An EPD is a comprehensive, independently verified, and registered product pass. It reports transparent and comparable data on the environmental impact of a product’s life cycle (Life Cycle Assessment). The life cycle is considered from the extraction of raw materials through to production then the use phase to disposal, including the impact of the individual transport routes. Tomas Kvillström, Leader, Commercial Regulation, LIXIL EMENA underlines how important it is to analyze a product’s entire life cycle: “We also looked at the usage phase, which has sometimes been neglected by the industry in the past. The long use phase of our products is the main driver for water and energy consumption and therefore a crucial piece of information for building management companies and hotel operators in particular. However, this knowledge is not only elementary for our customers, but also a good benchmark for us to further increase the sustainability of our value chain and products.”

Environmental Declarations are based on the international standard ISO 14025, and with regard to the construction industry EPDs are particularly based on EN 15804 for construction products, services and processes.

Significant building block in the sustainability strategy

Today, the focus for sustainable product requirements is primarily on Global Warming Potential (GWP). Through the collection and validation of EPD-relevant data, GROHE is striving to develop increasingly low-emission product strategies in the long term while continuously improving its own carbon footprint. Potential for improvement could be identified, for example, in aspects such as sourcing materials closer to the plant or strengthening GROHE’s approach to green transportation. Since 2020 all eight LIXIL fittings plants, including the plants in Hemer, Lahr, Porta Westfalica (all Germany), Albergaria (Portugal) and Klaeng (Thailand), along with Jiangmen

(China), Danang (Vietnam) and Monterrey (Mexico), where GROHE products are also manufactured, as well as the German logistics centres, are CO2-neutral. In 2021, the European outbound logistics became CO2-neutral. All fittings plants and German distribution centers have switched to green energy. The collected EPD data shows CO2 peaks and can therefore support the goal of further avoiding and reducing emissions, and also in turn minimize the share of compensation to be paid. As a brand in the LIXIL portfolio, which is a Japanese manufacturer of pioneering water and housing products, GROHE’s efforts contribute to the corporation’s goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. “To preserve our planet, we need to change the way we create our built environment. We welcome EPD as the industry’s ‘new normal’ to foster the transformation towards low environmental impact and low energy consumption projects. They are the prerequisite for sustainable, future-ready building concepts,” says Jonas Brennwald.

Cover image: GROHE Eurosmart Kitchen – Cradle-to-Cradle Certified Gold Level

If you’d like to feature your product news here, get in touch to find out more. 

If you’d like to become SBID Accredited, click here for more information.

In this week’s interview with SBID Awards Product Design judge Co-Founder & Director of Accouter Group of Companies, Stella Gittins discusses the power of design, Accouter’s journey towards becoming a B-corp and talks about the increasing consumer focus on the ethical and sustainable sides of business.

How would you define the power of design?

Design has the power to influence the future, whether that be through innovation, sustainability impacts or the drive for change. Design has the ability to re-imagine what we think we know, and for me, the power of good design is the unity of beauty and functionality. It is courageous in its input and modest in its output, and good design is never out of fashion.

Accouter have recently applied to become B-Corp certified. What will this important certification mean for your business and your clients?

As a future-focused collective, we realised how much difference we could be making on eco and social levels. The first lockdown taught us that even taking small steps to make a change will eventually lead to a more significant impact on healing the planet. Becoming more eco and socially conscious for many in the team was an essential drive for change. So instead of sustaining and maintaining our performance, we prioritised plans to regenerate and commence a never-ending journey towards ‘sustainability’.

According to Forbes in 2021, “Generation Z (’97-’12) along with Millennials (’81-’96) are more likely to make purchase decisions based on values and principle.” Therefore, commercially we must also be future-proofing ourselves as an industry as the more sustainably conscious generations start to hold the purse strings. Obtaining our B Corp accreditation through initiatives with our teams, customers, supply chain, the wider community and by being transparent and accountable will undoubtedly build that critical trust factor within our business and clients for the future.

When thinking about the future of interior design, what are the key factors driving industry development?

We have lived through, and are still living through, a significant period of re-adjustment that brings a new meaning to and re-orientating our life perspectives. Affiliation with nature and well-being has become a fundamental concept in our way of life. So much so, we have already noticed this drive for change in how we can design a space that incorporates elements for a positive mental and well-being outcome.

Likewise, sustainability is a key focus for industry development. I recently read that 22 million pieces of furniture are thrown away every year in the UK. The shocking stats made us think, “we can do better.” Customers increasingly want a product sourced from ‘responsible’ suppliers and are interested in full traceability on the supply chain offering ‘responsible’ products. Much like our clients, we are investing in the future. Our dedicated ‘Eco-Warrior’ team are directing their efforts on measures that deliver the biggest impacts, with an emphasis on minimising any destructive environmental impact.

When it comes to product specification, how far do environmental considerations influence your design process and buying decisions?

Increasingly, we are actively educating our supply chain on the B Corp Movement. Although we have just started this journey, we are actively on a mission to collect data from our supply chain and environmental credentials of the products we are procuring, intending to deliver on our ambition to source 100% from responsible suppliers.

Launching this year, we will use the Environmental Icons to badge products within our BoxNine7 Curated Furniture Packages service and Bazaar’s e-commerce range. The Environmental icons cover everything from ethical design, FSC Timber and fillings to recyclable packaging. Not only does this influence our design process, but it provides our clients with clarity surrounding terminology and confidence in what they are buying. Our new badging process will assist in educating us all, and over time we are looking to achieve 100% traceability across the AGC collective.

Finally, what advice can you give to designers entering the SBID Awards?

My advice would be not to hold back in your entry and share as much as you can about your project. We have been on such a journey the last couple of years, and we need to celebrate the successes we’ve all had during this time!

Questions answered by Stella Gittins, Co-Founder & Group Director, Accouter.

The modern and contemporary furniture brand, Viva Lagoon has recently launched a range of new furniture lines that will help customers maximise their outdoor space and create a stylish and sustainable escape in their own garden.

Viva Lagoon are the retailer of a range of high-quality garden furniture brands that have continued to launch new and exciting lines this season. Existing brands include Vincent Sheppard, Talenti and Gloster, who have launched their Lento, George, and Saranacc collections, respectively. In addition, the online retailer has started supplying new brands such as Isimar, Vondom, and Diabla.

These exciting new brands that have been added to the Viva Lagoon roster all share a similar passion for sustainability, which is a theme that permeates through the luxury retailer’s business. For example, Diabla use 100% recycled and recyclable material in their Galvanized steel and aluminium products, as well as Vondom who use their unique ‘Revolution’ material which is made from recycled plastic from the Mediterranean.

New technology in furniture manufacturing has led the way for Viva Lagoon’s brands to prioritize the environment at all stages of their production process. With advancements that allow manufacturers to develop new, sustainable materials and recent technological innovations, brands have been able to repurpose and give a second life to pre-used plastic products that would have otherwise ended up in landfill.

Viva Lagoon carefully select brands and products that fuse contemporary and traditional, with functionality and durability at the heart of everything they do to provide the best quality products for their customers possible. The beautifully crafted and timelessly elegant furniture pieces are revolutionising any pre-conceived notion of what garden furniture is and looks like. Each of Viva Lagoon’s brands have created show-stopping products in sublimely sophisticated designs that make garden furniture look like indoor furniture without compromising on weatherproofing and durability.

Popular new collections include the timeless leaf collection from Talenti that includes luxe leather and velvet scatter cushions for outdoors, plus tabletops and dining tables that feature the brand’s signature compact laminate that comes in a range of attractive colours and textures. The brand has also recently launched their Reef Sunbed and exquisite George Collection.

Kheira Benchekor, managing director at Viva Lagoon says, “Over the past year our existing furniture brands have launched some beautiful collections that are shaking up what typical garden furniture looks like and brings a sustainable spin to traditional designs. We’re also thrilled to be working with new brands, Vondom, Isimar and Diabla, who all come from Spain and share our mission of creating beautiful and functional garden furniture. We can’t wait to see what else they launch over the coming months.”

To find out more about Viva Lagoon and shop their new arrivals, visit www.vivalagoon.com.

If you’d like to feature your product news here, get in touch to find out more. 

If you’d like to become SBID Accredited, click here for more information.

Riviera Home UK are a subsidiary of Rivera Home furnishings, a world leader in the manufacture of luxury quality textiles. Specialising in broadloom carpets and rugs for the UK market, they offer a unique twist on luxury naturally sustainable and ethical floorcoverings.

How would you describe your style?

Our ethos and style of the brand at Riviera is all about function, suitability, sustainability, inspiration, fashion, and exclusivity. Our products include innovative flat woven collections, tufted wool loops in solid dyed and heather blends along with blended fibres such as Tencel and Bamboo. Our carpets and rugs are textured using plain, natural colour shades to easily fit in with today’s residential environment. The styling of Riviera Home’s carpets works beautifully with many on-trend colours and interior schemes. We want to be different from the mainstream and this is one of the main reasons we work so successfully with interior designers, offering their clients something which is unique to them.

What are the origins of Riviera Home?

Riviera Home began as a family-run business, with the first generation of the Singla family selling cotton fabrics from their own shop in India’s historic city of Panipat. In 1984 the third generation of the Singla family members ventured into the export of handcrafted products and earned the Gold Medal award from the Handloom Export Promotion Council. The UK office opened in 2013 and we are proud to be running our UK sales and stock operation from the home of carpets in Kidderminster, Worcestershire.

The origins of the brand are embedded in design for functionality with style. At Riviera Home, we spend a great deal of time working on textured carpets in different effects, styles, options to offer something different and exciting to an interior design project.

We use soft, subtle, and natural colour shades which work fantastically well as a foundation base for a new interior design scheme along with the security of high-quality manufacturing in both handmade and machine techniques.

How do you work with interior designers?

Relationships and developing strong trading partnerships are very important to Riviera Home, working very closely with interior designers who we encourage to work with our national network of professional flooring retailers (authorised dealerships), all of whom are highly skilled and experienced in floorcoverings and who can support them with handling and fitting of our carpets. This relationship is supported by our national network of sales professionals and our dedicated team working Riviera Home’s Head office.

We work with designers by utilising a professional display sample box which has a backup sample postage service. We also have a nationwide sales team which can connect, meet, discuss, and help where needed to maintain a constant dialogue and ensure we meet evolving project needs and requirements.

What value does your bespoke offering add to the interior design industry?

At Riviera Home, we can convert all our ranges into bespoke rugs available in the size of your choice. Utilising your choice of tape, finish, texture, colour, style, whether you’re utilising a wide border to compliment or contrast or discreet blind stitching for a unique finish. This service is hand-finished and offers endless options and flexibility. We provide the highest quality products and manufacturing processes, combined with knowledgeable sales staff.

Examples of recent installations are proudly posted on our Riviera Home Instagram page (rivierahomelondon), and we really value the support from all our partners. There is a consistent social media output to help further connect, present, and represent new design ideas and styles available.

What are the latest trends you’ve noticed in your client’s requests?

We see the latest trends heading towards a more natural style and look with renewable materials such as wool continuing to be important for warmth, wear, softness, and security.

We also see a return to some of the softer colours coming through in natural cream and champagne colour shades, along with some stronger sand shades to work with bronze and brass tones are becoming fashionable.

To find out how to join the SBID professional membership, click here