MATERIALS & MANUFACTURING PROCESSES Below is a description of Fritz Hansen s manufacturing processes and the materials used as well as how Fritz Hansen aim to minimize the impact on the environment: PLATING Chromium plating is used, to extend the lifetime of the metal. Chrome occurs naturally in the environment in rocks, soil, vegetation and volcanic material. Chromium salts can be found in food and is also an essential nutrient for the body. Prior to chroming, the oil residues are removed from the metals by using a water-based degreasing agent. Fritz Hansen use chromium plating on: The bases of the Ant, Series 7, Grand Prix, Drop, Dot, Lily, NAP, Series 3300, PK25, PK31, PK33, PK20, Plano, Table Series and Coffee Table Series. The outer tube on the column of the base for the Oxford, RIN, Egg, Swan and Little Friend. All metal parts on the chromed Coat Tree. All non-lacquered parts of the KAISER idell lamps. FOAM Polyurethane (PUR) foam is used as padding and cushioning in Fritz Hansen s upholstered products. The hard shell for the Egg, Swan, Ro, Fri and Favn is made of PUR foam with fiberglass reinforcement. The foam is expanded by the use of water. The foam waste is 100% recycle; it is granulated in order for it to be recycled into bounded foam (SETEX). Fritz Hansen only use halogenated flame retardants in CMHR grades if the products must comply with BS 5852 Crib 5, which is relevant for the UK market.
GLUE Adhesives used for upholstery are water soluble. Water soluble glue is also used for gluing laminate and veneer on the Table Series, Coffee Table Series and Plano tables. Urea Formaldehyde glue is used to bond the veneer in Arne Jacobsen s laminated chairs (Ant, Series 7, Grand Prix, Dot and Lily ). It is also used in the chipboard on the tables in Table Series and Coffee Table Series, as well as in the MDF table tops for the minuscule table tops, which are laminated with Oregon pine veneer. LACQUER Polyurethane (PUR) lacquer is used on Arne Jacobsen s laminated chairs (Ant, Series 7, Grand Prix, Dot and Lily ), the Space shell, underneath the Analog table top and for Little Friend with lacquered base. PUR lacquer is a very durable lacquer type. The lacquer is applied in a closed circuit, to ensure that any emissions are minimal. Powder lacquer is used for bases of Arne Jacobsen s laminated chairs (Series 7 ) in monochrome, Drop, ICE, RIN, NAP, Space chair and Fri. The Coat Tree as well as the legs for the Join coffee tables are also powder coated. METALS Scrap metal from the production of Fritz Hansen s products (such as stainless steel, chromed steel and aluminium) is sold to scrap dealers and melted for recycling. The aluminium alloy consists of 90% aluminium and 10% silica to enable it to be moulded. All the aluminium used is 100% recycled aluminium. PAPER & CARDBOARD All paper and cardboard waste from the administration and production at Fritz Hansen and the supply chain is recycled. PLASTIC Plastic parts are free of phthalates and flame retardants and are manufactured without the use of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC). Virgin glass is used in plastics with glass fillers. All plastic waste materials are sent for recycling. All large plastic parts are marked with their plastic type in order to facilitate the return of the material into the recycling circuit. PACKAGING MATERIAL For stone and glass table tops chipboard packaging is used. For other products, cardboard is used as the packaging material. Polyethylene (PE) foam is used as additional protection of the furniture in the packaging. All packaging material can be recycled.
TEXTILES Textile residues are recycled to the extent where it is possible. Fritz Hansen s fabric suppliers ensure that the subcontractor meets the requirements in relation to dyes and other chemicals that are used in the textiles. The requirements ensure that there is no use of: Banned AZO dyes that may split into aromatic amines which are suspected to be carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic to reproduction or dyes containing heavy metals. Bromide flame-retardant. Chemicals containing chlorine. Chemicals from the list of Undesirable substances, set by the Danish Environmental Protection Agency. Fritz Hansen uses cotton which is made from conventionally and ecologically grown procedures. The flax that Fritz Hansen use is conventionally grown. Flax is a plant that does not require a lot of spraying of various chemicals. All standard textiles listed on Fritz Hansen price list are produced by suppliers in Europe. They all faced a number of strict requirements when it comes to wastewater treatment. AZO DYES The leather Fritz Hansen uses do not contain the banned AZO dyes that may split into aromatic amines which are suspected to be carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic to reproduction. TANNING Below is a description on three different tanning types, which are used for the leather Fritz Hansen use: Vegetable Tanned Leather Vegetable tannins are extracted from wood, bark and fruit. Vegetable tanning gives a rich, robust and compact leather. Rustic and Natural leather is vegetable tanned. Synthetic tanned leather Synthetic tanning agents are aromatic polymers. Synthetic tanning agents in most cases are not used alone, but together with chrome or vegetable tanning agents, which gives an interesting result. This is called Combinations tanning. Some of the white leather types are synthetically tanned.
Chrome Tanned Leather Chrome occurs naturally in the environment in rocks, soil, vegetation and volcanic material. Chromium salts can be found in food and is also an essential nutrient for the body. Fritz Hansen uses chromium 3 for chrome tanned leather which is less toxic than chrome 6. Chrome tanned leather is more durable and softer than hides tanned with other tanning agents, as chromium binds the fibers in the skin together very well. It is also easier to control the thickness of the leather, when the hides are chrome tanned. Furthermore, the chrome tanned leather does not shrink during the tanning process, which is the case for vegetable or synthetic tanned leather. Basic, Classic, Soft, Sense, Optical White and Suede are chromed tanned. Some of the white leather types are chromed tanned. Elegance leather is chromed tanned and vegetable re-tanned. FORMALDEHYDE Formaldehyde is used in the synthetic tanning process, to give a better stabilization prior to splitting and shaving. In Europe there is no general legislation specifying levels of formaldehyde in leather. WOOD FSC & PEFC COC certification: Fritz Hansen has both FSC FSC-C120451 (forest stewardship council) and PEFC NC-PEFC/COC-000006 (Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) COC (Chain of Custody) certification. With the these COC certifications, Fritz Hansen is authorized to sell FSC and PEFC certified products. Both certification is a forest certification system which ensures the wood is from forests that are managed with respect for the ecological, social and ethical standards. The most common forest certificate is the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council), however suppliers of FSC Certified veneer did not match up to the high standards that Fritz Hansen requires for its veneer laminated chairs, therefore Arne Jacobsen s laminated chairs is PEFC certified. Chipboard Chipboard used in the production of Fritz Hansen`s tables contain up to 60-70 % recycled wood. This is the highest content of recycled wood material which is allowed in chipboard in order to obtain the high quality which is required in Fritz Hansen s products. The remaining wood is waste from Danish forests that are PEFC and/or FSC certified wood. MDF The raw material used for producing MDF boards is sawmill chips (70 %), a by-product from sawmills, and chips from pulp wood (30 %). The glue which is used to attach the sawmill chips and pulp woodchips together is urea formaldehyde glue. MDF is used for the minuscule table top as well as the Analog table top.
LAMINATE Table tops for Table Series, Coffee Table Series and Analog are available with laminated chipboard. The table tops for the Little Friend are made of compact laminate. The laminate used consists of Melamine and Phenol impregnated paper. SUPPLIERS The suppliers approach to environmental issues is reviewed by Fritz Hansen as part of the Quality and Environmental Management System prior to a potential partnership with the supplier. An environmental audit is performed annual on all of all the strategic suppliers. COMPLIANCE WITH REACH Fritz Hansen complies with REACH regulation (EF nr. 1907/2006). Fritz Hansen is in terms a downstream user, therefore, Fritz Hansen must ensure that their suppliers can deliver MSDS in accordance to the European requirements for MSDS, Directive 91/155/EEC.