As a rebuke to the throw-away society, OFFECCT prefers to act responsibly by creating durable products that are better for the environment. And today this furniture manufacturer is one of the first in the industry to offer Swan-labelled, chromium-plated furnishings. Using Proton Finishing’s surface treatment Protech® Green, OFFECCT has created a number of chromium-plated products that are approved as recyclable with low environmental impact.
“We find it tremendously positive that as a supplier of surface treatments, Proton Finishing is ahead of the pack in investing in this kind of process. We have been working on Swan labelling for our products for a long time, and we see it as an important quality seal. Up until now we had difficulty in meeting standards for all of our products because of chromium plating, so it is extremely encouraging that Proton has striven so hard to offer an alternative approved by Nordic Ecolabelling,” OFFECCT’s CEO Kurt Tingdal informs us.
Already Swan labelled
An ambition to create durable and eco-friendly products has been part of our very being ever since OFFECCT was founded in 1990. Most of all we aim to create classics that our customers would rather re-upholster and keep for a lifetime than throw away. Large parts of our product range are already Swan labelled by Nordic Ecolabelling, and we are working consistently toward all of our new products meeting their standards. In order for a product to be approved for the Swan label, the entire product, including its upholstery must qualify either for the Swan label or the EU flower label.
The entire product is scrutinized
When OFFECCT designs a new piece of furniture, the entire product is put under the microscope. Constituent materials, manufacturing processes, transport and product lifespan are all examples of the important factors evaluated. Finding new, exciting materials or manufacturing methods is what inspires us; innovation is essential.
Chromium provides best results
But above all any new solutions must meet environmental standards. When it comes to the choice of materials, chromium plated surfaces have always been controversial.
“As I see it, the criticism chromium received was both justified and unjustified. For example, I am of the opinion that the whole debate surrounding nickel and nickel allergies was severely out of focus. Then along came a replacement material in the form of powder coating, and the debate ebbed away. But powder coatings soon showed themselves to have a shorter lifespan than chromium plating, so we might question just how eco-friendly it is, seen from a life-cycle standpoint. Today the surface treatment process is somewhat different, with trivalent chromium produced in closed systems resulting in a significantly lower or almost non-existent environmental impact.”
“We believe that chromium plating provides the best results available for surface layers on metal products when it comes to lifespan,” says Kurt Tingdal.
The environment is everything
For OFFECCT, the environment is an issue equally important as design and quality, and it is part of our every agenda. And environmental work is not just limited to a small group within the company, but involves everyone, and with good reason. Consideration for the environment characterizes everything we do in the company.
“Above all, the environment is a matter for management. But it doesn’t stop there. Everyone at OFFECCT is involved and I feel there is strong motivation to work on these issues. It is not just a marketing ploy or something that only environmental and quality control does,” Kurt Tingdal tells us.
Read more about Protech® Green here.
Read more about OFFECCT here.
Read more about the Swan label here.