Developing environmental awareness together

Preventing waste from being generated in the first place—e.g., through less packaging, durable products, repair, and reuse. This is sustainable because it saves raw materials, energy, and CO2, and reduces environmental impact from disposal or recycling.

Bio-based plastics consist of at least a proportion of renewable (mostly plant-based) raw materials. Contrary to popular belief, however, bio-based plastics are not always biodegradable. Starch (e.g., corn starch), cellulose, or sugar can serve as the main sources for bio-based plastics. Even plastics such as PE or PET, which are usually classified as petroleum-based, can be produced with a proportion of bio-based plastic. Moldable parts and transparent solutions are feasible. Whether bio-based plastics are more sustainable depends on the ecological objectives, the area of application, and the composition. In most cases, the ingredients are more readily available regionally and have a better carbon footprint; as a rule, they are also more biodegradable as waste. On the other hand, petroleum-based plastics may be more durable, depending on the area of application. In addition, petroleum-based plastic is so abundant "in the world" that this resource cannot remain unused.

The circular economy is an economic model that aims to conserve resources and minimize waste. In contrast to the linear economic model, in which products are disposed of after use, the circular economy aims to recover the raw materials from a product at the end of its life so that they can be used as raw materials for the production of the next product. This would allow raw materials to circulate in a loop. Waste would be avoided and the demand for newly generated raw materials would decrease, which would protect the environment from the impact of raw material extraction.

The concept was developed by Michael Braungart (now Professor of Process Engineering and Chemistry at Leuphana University in Lüneburg), among others, who also coined the term "eco-effectiveness" in this context. The aim is to be able to completely dismantle all individual parts of a product back to their origin and reuse them. The basic idea is that there is no such thing as waste in nature; instead, all materials are resources. The cradle-to-cradle principle is based on two complementary cycles: a technical cycle in which materials can be recycled without any loss of quality, and a natural cycle in which materials are repeatedly used as nutrients for new products through composting processes.

In order for every product to be reused in its entirety, a new production concept is needed, because currently we can only reuse a fraction of things, as bonding, welding, and connection with other product elements usually make loss-free "deconstruction" difficult or impossible.

A phase from the "life cycle assessment of a product," for example, in life cycle assessment. The assessment phase ranges from the extraction of raw materials, through processing and product manufacturing, to delivery to the user. Later effects resulting from the use of the product or recycling are not yet included.

The cradle-to-grave cycle refers to an assessment that tracks the life stages of a product from the point of raw material procurement, through production and use, to disposal. In other words, it is cradle-to-gate, extended to include the two subsequent phases of product use and disposal. In the so-called linear economy, cradle-to-grave describes the entire "life" of a product with all its effects on the climate, health, or the environment. However, if the choice of materials and the design of a product ensure that the product is not disposed of but can be completely broken down into its raw materials for new products, a cycle is created: cradle-to-cradle.

The Corporate Carbon Footprint (CCF) describes the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions (including CO₂ emissions) generated directly or indirectly by a company's business activities. The CCF provides companies with an overview of exactly where greenhouse gas emissions occur within their operational processes and value chain and how high these emissions are. This enables companies to collect data that they can use to set reduction targets.

The abbreviation "CSR" stands for "corporate social responsibility." Directly translated, this refers to the social responsibility of businesses. In the German-speaking world, CSR is understood to mean the social responsibility of companies in the context of sustainable business practices.

Corporate sustainability reporting (in the current context of sustainability reporting) – This refers to corporate reporting on sustainability (reporting obligation).

Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive – The directive (the set of rules, the requirement) according to which a sustainability report must be prepared.

End of life (of a product)

End of use (of a product)

The abbreviation for the three sustainability-related areas of responsibility for a company: environment, social, and governance. These include, for example, environmental pollution, occupational safety, and a company's management and control processes. In contrast to CSG, ESG tends to focus more on measurable results of quantitative targets.

EUDR (European Union Deforestation Regulation) – EU Regulation

The consumption and trade of wood-based raw materials and products should not contribute to deforestation and/or further degradation of forest ecosystems. The regulation will apply from December 30, 2025, with the final transition period ending on July 1, 2026. The products concerned must be deforestation-free from December 30, 2025. This means that the production areas of the relevant raw materials must not have been converted from forests to agricultural land and that there must not have been any harvesting operations that are unsustainable and lead to a reduction or loss of the biological or economic productivity and complexity of forest ecosystems.

FSC (certified wood origin)

FSC-certified stands for "Forest Stewardship Council" certified. FSC is an international certification system for forest management. It is designed to ensure that wood and paper products come from forests that are managed according to strict ecological, social, and economic standards. In the office furniture industry, the FSC seal indicates that the wood materials used come from responsibly managed forests and thus contribute to the promotion of sustainable forestry.

The Forest Stewardship Council was founded in 1993 by the environmental organization Greenpeace. FSC conducts audits according to its own internationally comparable standards.

The ISO 59000 family of standards is a new series (2024) of international standards designed to create a common understanding and uniform guidelines for implementing the circular economy in organizations. The goal of the circular economy is to preserve and use raw materials for as long as possible and at the highest possible quality. This is achieved by redesigning products, services, and value chains, thereby reducing the demand for primary resources and increasingly meeting it with secondary resources.

The ISO 59000 standards family currently consists of seven documents that define vocabulary, principles, and guidelines.

The circular economy aims to keep all resources required for production and the product in a cycle of use and reuse without loss or waste.

Law on corporate due diligence in supply chains.

Companies must ensure compliance with human rights throughout the entire supply chain. Topics:

• Prohibition of child labor below the legal minimum age
• Prohibition of the worst forms of child labor
• Prohibition of forced labor
• Prohibition of slavery
• Compliance with occupational health and safety
• Prohibition of violation of freedom of association
• Unequal treatment
• Fair remuneration
• Prohibition of harmful soil alteration, water and air pollution
• Prohibition of unlawful eviction/confiscation of land, forests, and water
• Prohibition/commissioning of security forces

Companies with 3,000 or more employees (public limited companies) were required to fully implement the Supply Chain Act as of January 1, 2023. Since January 1, 2024, this obligation applies to all companies with 1,000 or more employees.

The linear economic system is currently the prevailing system based on the "take-make-waste" principle and differs from the circular economy in its lack of circularity. Raw materials are extracted, products are manufactured, sold, consumed, and then discarded. This results in raw material shortages, emissions, large amounts of waste, and associated environmental pollution.

Part of "non-financial reporting"

In Germany, larger companies are required to publish a sustainability report: those with total assets of over €20 million, more than €40 million in revenue, more than 500 employees, and a capital market orientation, as well as banks, insurance companies, and fund management companies. From January 1, 2025: Extension to all large companies (regardless of their capital market orientation) with 250 or more employees. From January 1, 2026: Extension to small and medium-sized enterprises with ten or more employees that are capital market-oriented. The sustainability report must be audited by an auditor or certified service provider. The form of the sustainability report is not clearly specified. It is recommended to follow proven standards that ensure the correct scope. This includes EMAS III, among others.

The sustainability report also covers social issues such as supply chain considerations. The topic of greenhouse gases (GHG)/CO2 must also be reported. The extent of this reporting depends on the materiality of the topic for the business principle. From 2024, the sustainability report must be included as part of the management report. A separate sustainability report is only permitted in addition.

Topics covered by the sustainability report:

• Environmental topics: Climate protection, adaptation to climate change, conservation of water and marine resources, circular economy, prevention of environmental pollution, and preservation of biodiversity.
• Social topics: Ensuring equal opportunities for all employees, gender equality, creating safe working conditions with a good work-life balance, and respect for human rights.
• Governance issues: The role of the company's administrative, management, and supervisory bodies (also with regard to sustainability issues), as well as anti-corruption and anti-bribery measures, the company's political engagement, and any lobbying activities.

The Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) is the most established method for determining the climate impact of a product. Throughout the entire life cycle of a product—from raw material extraction to recycling or disposal—climate-relevant impacts arise in the form of greenhouse gas emissions. The carbon footprint is not only about carbon dioxide emissions, as the name suggests, but also about other greenhouse gases.

The climate impact of the various greenhouse gases is expressed in CO2 equivalents, as the gases have different global warming potentials.

•  Methane (CH4)
• Nitrous oxide (N2O)
• Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)
• Perfluorinated hydrocarbons (PFCs)
• Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6)
• Nitrogen trifluoride (NF3)

The life cycle assessment for a product can be considered for defined stages of the "product life." In a linear economy, a product life runs from A1 to C4, i.e., from the initial procurement of raw materials to the disposal of waste at the end of the disposal phase. In the circular economy, "waste" is defined as a nutrient for new products. Therefore, the potential for recycling is considered under D. Naming the phases with uniform abbreviations facilitates the structuring of analyses and communication about them.

Certified wood origin

PEFC certification stands for "Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes." It is an international forest certification system that ensures that wood and paper products come from sustainably managed forests. For the office furniture industry, this means that furniture bearing the PEFC label comes from responsible sources, thereby promoting the protection of forests.

The PEFC initiative was founded in 1999 and has been active worldwide since 2004. PEFC checks compliance with applicable ISO standards on a country-by-country basis.

The Product Category Rules (PCR) for office furniture are expected to be introduced in 2025/26. This is part of a project that defines methods for increasing the service life and recyclability of furniture and is to be tested. The PCR provide basic rules for the environmental declaration of products and are crucial for the comparability and sustainability of office furniture.

Refurbishing (or refurbished) refers to the quality-assured overhaul and repair of products and their subsequent remarketing.

Rethinking products and processes from scratch, e.g., edible cutlery, renting products instead of owning them, on-demand buses instead of regular buses, autonomous driving instead of driver-controlled vehicles...

Increased efficiency in product manufacturing or use through reduced consumption of natural resources and materials

Reuse of a discarded product that is still in good condition and fulfills its original function by another consumer or reuse for a different purpose.

Repair and maintenance of a defective product so that it can continue to be used in its original function.

Construction of a new product from discarded parts. The advanced level of refurbishing, in which a complete product is modernized or repaired simply by replacing a few parts.

According to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, the assessment of a company's greenhouse gas emissions is divided into three areas:

• Scope 1: direct emissions from a company, e.g., the CO2 emitted by a company's vehicle fleet.
• Scope 2: indirect emissions, e.g., the energy supply for production, which already causes emissions during its generation.
• Scope 3: indirect emissions that are not within the company's direct sphere of influence, such as the supply chain.

The SEAQUAL INITIATIVE is a global community of NGOs, fishermen, researchers, scientists, authorities, and private stakeholders. Together, they are committed to cleaning up the oceans, rivers, estuaries, beaches, and coastlines. Certified manufacturers use this seemingly useless waste to produce a high-tech yarn that is unrivalled in terms of sustainability and resource consumption: SEAQUAL® YARN. The QUEST fabric collection from Camira used at WINI consists of 75% SEAQUAL yarn.

In 2015, the international community adopted Agenda 2030, setting 17 global sustainability goals, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), for socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable development. The agenda is a roadmap for the future, enabling people around the world to live in dignity while preserving the natural foundations of life in the long term. 

Greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. Carbon dioxide CO2 is just one of them. Other GHGs are sometimes more or less harmful to the climate than CO2. For better comparability, the other GHGs are converted to CO2 climate impact according to their different climate impact. The value is then given as CO2-eq (CO2 equivalent), as "equivalent to ... kg CO2." (For further information, see also PCF.)
 

TCPP is a phosphoric acid ester and is used as a flame retardant, including on fabrics. As it is hardly soluble in water and has been accumulating in the environment since around 1960 due to its widespread use over decades, it is considered potentially hazardous. (E.g., mentioned in the WINI OFML newsletter 10/2023: Camira Replay ... is free of TCPP)

Abbreviation and collective term for volatile organic compounds that evaporate into the air at room temperature (or higher) and could have a negative impact on human health. Many of these substances are not harmful, but some can cause irritation, fatigue, headaches, etc. Formaldehyde is one example of a VOC. VOCs can be produced by plasticizers in plastics, solvents in paints, flame retardants, mold inhibitors in cardboard packaging, and surfactants, for example.

Waste electrical and electronic equipment

The German Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act (ElektroG) stipulates that distributors of electrical equipment must register with the ear foundation (Elektronik-Altgeräte Register, or WEEE Register). This serves to identify controlled recycling processes. WINI is registered with WEEE No. DE32810288 as a supplier of electrically adjustable table systems. Suppliers of electrical components such as LINAK and Bachmann also have their own WEEE registration numbers. Due to the separate Battery Disposal Act (BattG), WINI has been using the additional WEEE No. DE73030483 for this component since the introduction of battery-powered tables. The WEEE number is also indicated on the environmental product data sheets for the series with corresponding electrical components.

Zero emissions means that a process, product, or activity does not generate any direct pollutant or greenhouse gas emissions (e.g., when operating a vehicle or plant). In terms of sustainability, this reduces climate impact and air pollution—provided that the energy and supply chain behind it is also as low-emission as possible.