Sustainable interior design: what we’ve learned so far
In 2021 we set out to make our commercial interior design service completely sustainable. One year in, we thought it would be interesting to reflect on what we’ve learned so far, and what we know we still need to go deeper on.
The commercial interior design industry is notoriously wasteful - perfectly serviceable fit-outs are ripped out when new businesses move into their premises; the supply chain generally involves a lot of importing; and furnishing contracts tend to go to large manufacturers with no clear record of where and how each product was made.
The UK generates around 200 million tonnes of waste each year, with 59% of this coming from the construction industry. One fifth of construction waste is from interiors fixtures and fittings. We want to find a better way of working, and are building our commercial interiors service with people and planet at the forefront.
As we all know by now, sustainability can be measured in lots of different ways. Here’s what we’ve been focussing on:
CARBON FOOTPRINT
‘Carbon footprint’ is the term widely used when referring to the amount of carbon dioxide released into the environment as a result of an activity. We measure the carbon footprint of our activities by firstly looking at the material sources of emissions. As most of the carbon in our projects comes from the goods we specify, we look at how much is released in the manufacture and transport of each element of our design (powering machinery, moving goods, etc.).
We’ve built a list of Good Suppliers, many of whom are B-Corp certified (which means their business meets strict sustainability criteria). and we prioritise using them on every project. When we can’t work with suppliers from our existing list, we need to find other ways of determining the carbon footprint of goods. For this we work with offsetting companies like Make It Wild who are able to calculate everything for us. They can also help us offset any carbon we’ve emitted across the course of a project. Of course we’d rather not need to offset, but we’ve so far found this unavoidable - building regulations aren’t always on our side when it comes to the materials we have to specify (non-slip flooring, tiling, stainless steel, and high-output lighting have all caused issues).
MANUFACTURING PROCESS
Carbon isn’t the only thing that needs to be monitored during the manufacturing process - production waste, working conditions and workforce diversity also need to be considered. We’ve recently created a list of questions that we send to new suppliers before they’re added to our ‘Good Suppliers’ list, to help us understand how their business operates. We ask how they manage their waste, whether they pay National Living Wage, and how diverse their board/senior team is, amongst other things.
We’ve learned that some companies don’t take too kindly to being asked these questions, but for us that’s a warning sign that perhaps their ethos doesn’t align with ours and we’re not going to be able to work together.
We’re still fine-tuning our vetting process to make sure it’s as accurate as possible, and we’re aiming to visit every supplier on the list to check them out in person over the next few years. Of course this is fraught with its own environmental challenges, so there’s a bit of planning to do first.
END OF LIFE & ABILITY TO REPAIR
It’s no use specifying sustainably manufactured products if they are going to head to landfill as soon as they break/wear. As designers it’s our job to consider the life-span of the products and finishes we specify, to ensure that everything can be repaired, restored, or re-used. This means intentionally specifying floors that will get better with age, or that can be sanded and refinished if they start to look a bit shabby; selecting hardware that looks good when it is tarnished; or commissioning solid joinery that has patina and character. Most of our suppliers offer long or lifetime guarantees, and an increasing number also offer a complementary repairs service.
For products that can’t be repaired (glassware for example), we make sure it can be recycled or repurposed at the end of its life.
We also specify a lot of vintage and second-hand pieces on every project - giving them new life with fresh upholstery or a new coat of wax.
WHAT WE’VE LEARNED:
1) SEEK ADVICE FROM THE EXPERTS
We have a lot to learn when it comes to sustainability, and we know that there are lots of gaps in our knowledge. For that reason, we don’t claim to know it all - we seek advice from experts (like Mark Shayler from Ape who has been working in sustainable innovation since 1992), and invite them to run workshops to educate both us and our clients about the ways we could do better.
2) SOME CLIENTS STILL NEED A LOT OF CONVINCING
Old habits die hard, and for lots of businesses sustainability still isn’t high enough on the agenda. We’re fortunate that all of our clients are all on-board with what we’ve set out to do, but we do have a lot of conversations with other brands that involve a lot of' “We want to be sustainable within reason” and “We’ll do your sustainable thing if the costs work out”. Built-in sustainability is crucial to future growth and brand longevity, and environmentally-friendly design is often no more expensive than the alternative.
3) THERE IS STILL A LONG WAY TO GO
We’ve been pleasantly surprised to find that there are so many great businesses out there who produce fantastic products in a kind, conscious way. Some categories (textiles, ceramics, and joinery for example) are overflowing with environmentally conscious suppliers, while others (construction, tiling, lighting, hardware - we’re looking at you) are pretty thin on the ground. On the rare occasion we aren’t able to specify sustainably (because the product doesn’t exist and would be too expensive to commission), we then prioritise giving back in other ways - like supporting an artist or buying from a company with strong charitable values.
We plan to share more information about the suppliers who made it on to our ‘Good Suppliers’ list, so that you can work with them too. Follow us on Instagram or sign up to our newsletter for more on that.
If you supply to the interiors industry and run your business in a sustainable and ethical way, we’d love to hear from you - studio@rawclay.co.uk
