SARA Platte – Spanplatte aus 100% recyceltem Altholz von WINI

Sustainable Office Furniture: Durable Design and Recycled Materials

Q: What sustainable alternatives are there to traditional office furniture made of particleboard?

One alternative is the SARA panel from WINI : a particleboard made from 100% recycled wood waste, with no newly harvested wood. In terms of appearance and properties, it is comparable to conventional particleboard, is PEFC-certified, and meets the E05 standard. This ensures that the carbon stored in the wood remains in the material cycle for longer.

A durable, repairable design is characterized by longevity, versatility, reusability, and manufacturing processes that conserve resources as much as possible. Modularity, the ability to reconfigure, and repairability extend the useful life of furniture.

An Office Designed as a Circle

Together with our partners and suppliers, we at WINI are increasingly using recycled, renewable, and—where possible—circular materials in our furniture production.

For example, we use natural products such as cork or upholstery fabrics containing recycled content (including those from the SEEQUAL initiative). When it comes to packaging, WINI relies on paper-based solutions; for sourcing, we prioritize regional suppliers; and for logistics, we use AI-supported packing and route optimization.

Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.

One of WINI’s sustainability initiatives is SARA (particleboard made from 100% recycled waste wood)—a board produced without using any newly harvested wood. SARA thus anticipates the mandatory EU regulation on deforestation-free supply chains, which takes effect on December 30, 2026.

The problem: Large quantities of waste wood are burned or disposed of at the end of their useful life—a process that releases the carbon stored in the wood back into the atmosphere. SARA’s solution: manufacturing new particleboard from used wood to reuse waste wood and reduce the demand for freshly harvested wood.

Recycled waste wood instead of virgin wood: SARA is manufactured without any newly harvested wood—exclusively from recycled waste wood. This conserves wood as a resource and keeps the carbon stored within it in the material cycle for longer.

SARA – Waste Wood Remains in the Material Cycle

Actually, nothing changes. And yet, everything does.

SARA does not differ from conventional particleboard in terms of appearance or properties. SARA wood is PEFC-certified and meets the German E05 standard.

SARA can be used for all WINI tabletops and cabinetry. The panel is available in WINI’s standard thicknesses and seven standard colors. Upon request, it can be customized using WINI’s entire range of decorative finishes.

From Wood Scraps to Functional Furniture—and Back Again

With WINI office furniture made from recycled materials, you can combine design with resource conservation: The SARA panel is made from 100% recycled wood. Recycling wood extends the useful life of wood as a raw material and reduces the demand for new wood. Furniture made from post-industrial wood, reclaimed wood, or end-of-life products returns wood to the cycle and thus contributes to the circular economy.

The modular design of WINI furniture systems, their high-quality craftsmanship, the high degree of customization, and long-term availability guarantees form the foundation of WINI’s strategy to continually improve office furniture.

Further insights on the topic

Kreislaufwirtschaft im Büro

Furniture for the Material Cycle

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Die SARA Platte von WINI ist nominiert für den Deutschen Nachhaltigkeitspreis 2025

Deutscher Nachhaltigkeitspreis 2025

SARA has been nominated

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Die SARA Platte von WINI – Altholz wird wiederverwendet und anhaftende Materialien wie Glas, Stahl oder Aluminium werden getrennt und ebenfalls recycelt

SARA chipboard

Chipboard made from 100% recycled waste wood

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Frequently Asked Questions About Sustainable Office Furniture

WINI focuses on durable, modular designs that can be easily modified and repaired, as well as on recycled materials. At the heart of this is the SARA panel, which is made from 100% recycled wood, is PEFC-certified, and meets the German E05 standard. It is available for all WINI tabletops and cabinetry.

One alternative is the SARA panel from WINI: a particleboard made from 100% recycled wood waste, with no newly harvested wood. In terms of appearance and properties, it is comparable to conventional particleboard, is PEFC-certified, and meets the E05 standard. This ensures that the carbon stored in the wood remains in the material cycle for longer.

WINI manufactures office furniture in Marienau near Coppenbrügge and, with its SARA panel, offers tables and cabinetry made from 100% recycled wood. Sales are conducted through a two-tier distribution system via specialty retailers; upon request, WINI will refer you to the appropriate retail partner.

Yes. The SARA panel is indistinguishable from conventional particleboard in terms of its appearance and properties. It is available in the standard WINI panel thicknesses and seven standard colors; upon request, it is available in the entire WINI decor color range.

A circular economy means keeping wood as a raw material in the material cycle for as long as possible. To achieve this, WINI uses recycled scrap wood in its SARA panels and focuses on modular, repairable furniture systems with a replacement parts guarantee, whose individual components can be replaced and upgraded.