How to choose a sustainable furniture for offices, bars, restaurants and any other commercial space?
In the article we briefly clarify what is meant by environmental sustainability and define the aspects to consider when choosing environmentally friendly office or shop furniture.
Environmental sustainability and eco-friendly furniture
La environmental sustainability it is a paradigm that can no longer be ignored, in whatever sector one carries out one's professional activity.
We live in a context where the environmental impact of human work is increasingly showing its negative consequences.
Commercial activities must not ignore these issues and have the opportunity to adopt ethical behaviors that respect the environment.
A good place to start is choosing a sustainable furniture.
What is environmental sustainability?
Environmental sustainability is the inner guardian of every decision that could negatively impact the environment on the future of humanity.
It is called environmental sustainability a set of conditions of production and development which makes it possible to satisfy the needs of current human generations, without depriving future generations of resources.
What is sustainable furniture
Let's start with a definition to answer the fundamental question: what issustainable furniture?
As the expression itself says, it is a type of furniture that is made according to standards consistent with environmental sustainability.
In particular, therestaurant furnishings, bars and offices it can be called “sustainable” if it meets these requirements:
- it was built without using paints, glues or toxic materials;
- it is not transported in polluting packaging;
- it has all the features that allow a piece of furniture to last a long time;
- they can be recycled or disposed of without negative externalities;
- derive from recycled materials or which can be recycled at a later time;
- if the furniture is made of wood, it must be Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified.
Recycling of furniture for offices, bars and restaurants
Il recycling of used furniture for office and retail environments is a good practice for limit the environmental impact starting a business or renovating premises.
In fact, the characteristics that we have listed in the previous paragraph refer to furniture purchased new for offices, shops, hotels and restaurants.
But an alternative way to make a sustainable, environmentally friendly choice is your own reuse old furniture and readapt them to the new context of use.
If we manage pre-furnished premises for a business, office or shop furniture can be reinterpreted in a green way for the new business.
The creative recycling of office furniture
The so-called creative recycling of furniture can also be done in the company or in the shop.
For example, over the years the comfortable and ergonomic office chairs wear out in the upholstery while the structure remains intact and functional.
They can be easily retrieved through the fiberglass wallpapers that we of Momenti we make for the upholstery of old but still robust furniture.
Which furniture and recycled materials are suitable for commercial spaces
But what are the materials and furniture to prefer for a sustainable furniture suitable for hotels, bed and breakfast, restaurants or open space co-working?
The first answer that comes to mind includes anything made out of wood. And that's a very right answer.
But wood is not the only solution to have a sustainable furniture.
Let's see what are the characteristics that make it perfect in terms of environmental sustainability and what are the equally sustainable alternatives.
The wooden furnishings for offices and shops are green
Wood is the king of raw materials in terms of environmental sustainability.
However, it must be FSC certified. What does it mean?
It means that the wood used for furniture for restaurants, offices or a bar must come from forests that are managed responsibly from an environmental, social and economic point of view.
The wood is splendid, has excellent thermal and acoustic insulation properties, And is easily recyclable.
Aluminum is infinitely recyclable
Aluminum is another excellent candidate for having eco-sustainable furniture in offices and shops.
It is a metal with a characteristic silver color that is extracted from bauxite.
It is ductile, light and completely recyclable: it can be reworked and reused as many times as desired without losing its properties.
Aluminum recycling also has a further advantage compared to the intrinsic one of recycling itself: it allows CO95 emissions deriving from the production of new aluminum to be reduced by up to 2%.
A thousand years of plastic, a thousand years of recycling
Disposal of plastic takes a thousand years.
For this reason, it is important to keep recycling it and not produce new ones.
A special kind of wood: bamboo
Bamboo falls into the great and beautiful category of wood.
It is characterized by an excellent pressure resistance which makes it suitable for use in flooring parquet.
They call it "vegetable steel" precisely because of this distinctive quality.
It absorbs CO2, is easily renewed and has minimal ecological impact.
Like any type of wood, however, it requires FSC certification.
As we of Momenti we favor recycling and sustainability
we at Momenti we offer products that are perfectly in line with the idea of recycling old furniture that would become waste that is difficult to dispose of.
In fact, ours fiberglass coatings they are suitable for reviving furnishings and furniture that are a few years old, but are still usable.
In addition, thanks to the technical fabric of our wallpapers you can create agraphic harmony that fills the space in which you work with atmosphere: restaurants, cafes and companies become figurative stories.