Nov 10 2011
FIRA will be sharing the findings of a key furniture industry research project that has assessed the feasibility of providing the UK furniture industry with product carbon footprint benchmarks. The event, which is open to those within the furniture industry, will be held on Tuesday 6th December, at Birmingham Botanical Gardens.
The Product Carbon Footprint Benchmarking Project is the first of its kind and has investigated the carbon impact of the furniture industry by working closely with 26 manufacturers of various furniture industry sectors including upholstery, kitchen and office products.
The Furniture FootprinterTM software tool , which was specifically designed for the furniture industry and has been used for a number of years within the industry, was also utilised for this project. The Furniture FootprinterTM software tool enables furniture companies to calculate the carbon footprints of specific products, projects or processes, with a view to manufacturing.
Dr Asli Tamer Vestlund, Deputy Technical Manager of FIRA International explained, “Historically different furniture companies were measuring their carbon footprints in different ways, giving mixed results. Our Furniture FootprinterTM tool enables carbon footprinting to be measured more consistently across the furniture industry to provide more accurate results.”
Dr Vestlund continued, “The tool has enabled FIRA to develop an understanding of the carbon footprint of individual products and pick out production areas that have the most substantial carbon impact. This allows us to work with the furniture industry to focus on reducing the carbon impact of certain elements of the production process.”
Attendees at the event will be given an insight into the make-up of furniture product carbon footprints. The importance of understanding carbon footprints will be demonstrated, as well as how carbon footprinting can benefit organisations by reviewing the full manufacturing process and the carbon associated with each activity. This can lead to reduced costs and decreased environmental impact.
A hard copy of the project report will be made available only to attending delegates.
This FIRA-backed event will be held at: Birmingham Botanical Gardens on Tuesday 6th December 2011 from 10am to 4pm and lunch is included.
This event is open to all. If you would like to attend the launch of the Product Carbon Footprint Benchmarking Project or request further information, please contact Hannah Barrett on [email protected] or call 01438 777 700.