The Furniture Industry Sustainability Programme (FISP), internationally recognised as an environmental benchmark for the furniture industry, has gained seven new members in the last six months, including the first Irish company to achieve certification.
To achieve membership of FISP an organisation must demonstrate its commitment to managing and improving sustainability. FISP, which is audited by FIRA International, was launched in 2006 to support and promote sustainable development in the furniture industry.
The new members are: Anco Storage, a designer and manufacturer of storage walls based in West Sussex, which joined in September 2013; Thomas Montgomery, a designer and manufacturer of office chairs and soft seating from County Wicklow in the Republic of Ireland, which joined in October 2013 and is the first Irish company to achieve FISP certification; Axcess Solutions, a distributor, designer and installer of office furniture for the contract market based in Marlow, which joined in November 2013;
Pineapple Contracts, a designer, manufacturer and installer of furniture for the specialist healthcare and contract sector based in Kent, which joined in November 2013; Jennifer Newman Studio, a designer which offers a range of indoor and outdoor furniture pieces and is based in London's Clerkenwell, which joined in December 2013; KI (UK), a subsidiary of American KI Inc (Krueger International), a designer and manufacturer of workplace and educational furniture ranges, which joined in December 2013 – part of one of the world's largest furniture manufacturing groups, KI's European headquarters are in Central London; and Richmond Cabinet Company, a designer and manufacturer of kitchen cabinets based in Derbyshire, which joined in January 2014.
James Bell, FIRA's environmental consultant, says: "With many contracts listing sustainability as a requirement for all new furniture purchases and statistics that show consumers are becoming more 'green' aware, FISP membership demonstrates a company's sustainability credentials. As well as protecting the environment there are many benefits of becoming a FISP member, including potential cost savings by reducing waste and saving energy.
"We are really pleased that Anco Storage, Thomas Montgomery, Axcess Solutions, Pineapple Contracts, Jennifer Newman Studio, KI (UK) and Richmond Cabinet Company have achieved FISP certification by showing that sustainable development is at the core of their business ethos. We look forward to working alongside them in the future."
FISP focuses on a variety of sustainability issues across a company including purchasing, end-of-life management, transportation, waste and energy management. Membership is reviewed on an annual basis and members are required to demonstrate their commitment to managing and improving sustainability.
FISP has over 75 members internationally, including Teal, Magnet, Moores Furniture Group, Premiere Kitchens, Sealy UK and Senator International.
