Martela's sustainability strategy

In recent years attitudes towards sustainability have shifted dramatically, and it is virtually a necessity for businesses to focus on green initiatives. Businesses are making a constant effort to change and reduce their environmental impact – and the furniture industry is no different.

Our partner Martela, who designs and manufactures user-driven workspaces to improve learning and working efficiency, has set a goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2035 in line with the Finnish Government’s ambitious targets. Recently, EcoVadis (the world's largest sustainability rating agency assessing the performance of supplier companies based on customers’ requests) granted Martela a Gold rating in their recent assessment. This Gold rating was already the second in a row for Martela and was awarded as their score was higher or equal to the score of 96% of all companies rated by EcoVadis.

Sustainability has been part of Martela’s business strategy throughout its history. Martela created the lifecycle model based on the principles of the circular economy - furniture is designed to meet the needs of the users as well as stand the test of time. High-quality production and design are fundamental characteristics of Martela's furniture, a high-quality product has a longer life cycle than a product that has been poorly manufactured. High-quality products also have more potential to be recycled and reused than products that have been manufactured based on the latest trends or low prices.

Martela's repair and maintenance service extends the lifecycle of furniture preventing the environmental consequences of manufacturing new furniture. Products still in good condition are sold in the closest Outlet Store minimising the carbon footprint generated by transportation. Furniture needing repairs (e.g. task chairs) is taken to their logistics centre where it is refurbished and reupholstered. Furniture that cannot be refurbished is taken-apart. The components are sorted into wood-, metal- and plastic materials. Wooden parts are used for energy production. Metals and plastics that can be reused are delivered for the industry to be used as raw materials. Martela's entire business model aims to support green initiatives and considers the circular economy at every stage.

“I am proud that the results of the decade-long responsibility work have been assessed as worthy of the EcoVadis gold medal”, says Anne-Maria Peitsalo, Director, Sustainability & Quality at Martela.

Martela's Path to carbon neutrality

Martela has been actively working towards reducing the carbon dioxide emissions from their production processes by using zero-emission electrical energy for almost a decade. In the last ten years, they have achieved an 89% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from purchased energy. Martela places a strong emphasis on the durability of the products but also considers that overtime the users' requirements for space may change. To adapt to a users changing needs, Martela offers customers the opportunity to incorporate existing furniture into their new furniture plans. If existing furniture is no longer fit for purpose, they will provide a service that finds new owners for the furniture as well as refurbish or recycle furniture that has reached the end of its useful life responsibly. This is part of their workspace as a service model that aims to maximise the utilisation of the materials involved in the creation of the product.

Carbon emissions may never be eliminated completely

Wood is used in most of Martela’s products, so it is not realistic that operations will ever be completely carbon-free. As a result of this, Martela has investigated ways to use wood-based materials as efficiently as possible whilst also ensuring that the products made from these materials can continue to be used.

We are so proud to partner with a business that implements effective sustainability initiatives whilst maintaining an awareness of the necessary steps that must be taken to reduce our environmental impact as businesses. To learn more about Martela's sustainability initiatives or enquire about any of their products please email us at sales@welltek.co.