ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY CONTRACT FURNITURE

Transcription

1 >> PRESS RELEASE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY CONTRACT FURNITURE Brunner has published an environmental declaration, thus further increasing its credibility in terms of environmental protection. Environmentally friendly development and production Brunner already put a special focus on this topic as early as 1988, and has acted accordingly ever since. In the autumn of 2014, this premium manufacturer of high-quality contract furniture published its commitment as an environmental declaration. The family-run company had a big part of its product portfolio certified according to the criteria set forth in DIN EN ISO Type II. We do everything we can in order to substantiate our credibility in this important area, offering the appropriate furniture to environmentally conscious architects and awarding authorities, explains Dr. Marc Brunner, the company s coowner and Managing Director. In 1988, Brunner established re-usable transport packaging. That constituted the first step towards a company that aligns its economic activities and manufacturing processes with the tenets of sustainability. Further development has taken place continuously, and has become a cornerstone of Brunner corporate culture over the past decades. Right from the very start, this family-run business has placed great importance on its credibility in terms of environmental protection, and on proving its claims with facts. In the future, we want to make sure that all products manufactured here in Rheinau that we offer come from

2 >> 2 verifiably environmentally friendly development and production, Dr. Marc Brunner spells out the goal. Now, Brunner has made another big step towards attaining this vision: publishing the environmental declaration is a clear sign in this direction. For a large part of the premium products from the comprehensive Brunner product portfolio, product-specific environmental declarations have been available since early 2014, which have been certified according to DIN EN ISO Type II. Since this process is a so-called self-declaration, Brunner has gone one step further still: Brunner not only issues self-declarations about certain products, but these self-declarations according to DIN EN ISO Type II were additionally checked by an external certification body, i.e. DQS GmbH ( Deutsche Gesellschaft zur Zertifizierung von Managementsystemen [German Society for the Certification of Management Systems]). The majority of Brunner contract furniture has been certified With our self-declaration in compliance with DIN EN ISO Type II, we are one of the few companies in our industry to have such a large number of products tested externally according to these standard criteria, estimates Hanne Haaf. The product manager is very much involved in the certification process, and she underlines: Since the audit DQS carried out in early 2014, environmental protection has enjoyed an even higher priority in manufacturing and sourcing at Brunner. Product life cycle: each detail is scrutinised In order to comply with the criteria set forth in DIN EN ISO Type II, a company has to deal with all environmentally relevant details throughout the entire product life cycle. Haaf explains: We are going to great lengths in order to generate all necessary data required for the environmental product declarations. On this basis, we realise all necessary measures for a comprehensive, continuous improvement of sustainability in development, sourcing and production. The product manager cites a case in point: marking all plastic components used by Brunner according to DIN EN ISO in order to allow for a complete separation and recycling of individual components after use. At Brunner, providing the content of an environmental product declaration calls for these preliminary steps: Registering all product parts with an itemised component list Weighing the components in order to determine the recycling potential expressed as a ratio of the total product weight Determining recyclability and place of origin together with the respective supplier

3 >> 3 The environmental declarations compiled by Brunner and audited by DQS now provide transparent information down to the last detail, covering all aspects including materials used, packaging, transport, utilisation, separation and disposal of individual components. Rising need for sustainable contract furniture Brunner follows the goal to offer the appropriate furniture to environmentally conscious architects and awarding authorities. The latest project: the outpatient rehab centre Jena ( Ambulantes Reha Zentrum Jena ). For this project, the client placed great emphasis on the fact that we were able to prove the ecological sources of the materials. Among other things we were able to convince them that our beech wood is sourced from local and certified suppliers, and comes from sustainable forestry, product manager Haaf relates. The Brunner headquarters construction in the interest of the environment Even the Brunner headquarters express this continuous change towards a sustainable company. In 2005, the new headquarters building was planned by the architectural firm schneider+schumacher. The building features a transparent cladding that allows presenting the products in natural light. Ventilating the double-clad façade takes place via ventilation openings making good use of the natural chimney effect. In 2010, a solar plant was installed, and in 2013, the roofing of the production halls was completely rebuilt in order to increase thermal insulation and lower energy consumption. Dr. Marc Brunner is convinced: All these measures for improving environmental protection are our social responsibility and a sensible investment into the future. Rheinau, January 2015 Reprint free of charge / copy for reference requested

4 >> 4 1 The change towards an environmentally conscious company is supported by all family members. From left to right: Helena Brunner, Tina Brunner, Dr. Marc Brunner, Rolf Brunner, Philip Brunner. (Photo: Rainer Stratmann) 2 Brunner produces its furniture using wood sourced from regional, certified forestry; the UV-curing waterbased lacquer system generates nearly no lacquer waste whatsoever. (Photo: Rainer Stratmann) 3 Environmentally friendly lacquer: Surplus lacquer gets collected during the production cycle, and after reprocessing, it is re-introduced into the cycle of the varnishing facility. (Photo: Andreas Körner) 4 Brunner guarantees that all leather covers do not contain any PCP (pentachlorophenol), PCB (polychlorinated biphenyl) or chromium VI. In sourcing, Brunner works together with regional providers, keeping jobs safe and transport distances short. (Photo: Rainer Stratmann) 5 In the company s own upholstery workshop, water-soluble glues are nearly exclusively used. The photo shows the high detail quality of a piece of seating furniture. (Photo: Christian Nielinger) 6 The environmental product declaration for the A-Chair offers transparency about all materials used down to the last detail. The A-Chair also supports the LEED certification. (Photo: Brunner GmbH)

5 >> 5 7 Brunner can provide an environmental declaration for nearly all of its products. The declaration for fina e.g. states that 98 percent of this delicate chair is recyclable. (Photo: Andreas Körner) 8 Even the headquarters architecture reflects the Brunner self-image as an environmentally conscious company: the spacious showroom is lighted and ventilated naturally. (Photo: Andreas Körner) About Brunner GmbH The family-owned company founded in 1977 is run by Helena and Rolf Brunner together with the next generation, Dr. Marc Brunner and Philip Brunner. The company has more than 400 employees. Business areas comprise development, manufacturing and sales of high-quality chairs, tables and contract furniture for offices and administrative buildings, public spaces and health and social institutions. The company s headquarters are located in Rheinau (Baden), Germany, and production takes place in the company-owned facility, specifically recognising Germany as a great location for business and industry. This claim to quality Made in Germany as well as the pronounced design competence are Brunner hallmarks. Similarly, the cooperation with internationally renowned designers like Wolfgang C.R. Mezger, Archirivolto, Martin Ballendat, lss designer, jehs+laub and osko+deichmann is an integral part of Brunner corporate culture. The passion for excellent furniture, great dedication and the ability to realise what at first seems to be impossible are the basis which the company has been built on since the very start. Company founders Helena and Rolf Brunner first defined this claim, which to date has lost nothing of its validity and attraction. Dr. Marc Brunner and Philip Brunner are proud to continue to expand this tenet with the same passion. Rheinau, August 2014 Reprint free of charge / copy for reference requested