In a separate area of its trade fair stand and on the ‘Boulevard of Sustainability’ at interzum 2023 in Cologne earlier this year, Blum demonstrated the values of the family-run company and its commitment to sustainable business. The focus was on the challenge of precisely analysing the life cycle of the furniture in order to derive and implement appropriate measures.
‘To preserve natural resources for future generations’ is a promise anchored in Blum's fundamental orientation statement. The family business, therefore, largely focuses on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, established by the United Nations, in their day-to-day activities. In order to demonstrate and substantiate these efforts to visitors at interzum 2023, the Austrian fittings specialist showcased concrete examples of sustainable action. Measures from areas such as energy and resources, transport and mobility as well as product sustainability were presented in a separate stand area on the North Boulevard of the trade fair centre, which this year was christened the ‘Boulevard of Sustainability’.
How sustainable is furniture?
The company not only focuses on its own products, but also holistically on the entire lifecycle of a piece of furniture – from the production of the raw materials, through all the manufacturing and assembly steps, until its usage and final disposal. This gives rise to questions such as: at which point in this lifecycle are the most CO2 equivalents created? Where is the greatest potential for savings to protect the environment? What factors can Blum and its customers directly influence? At interzum, there were many points to discuss on the trade fair stand, such as the use of CO2-reduced materials or the correct storage of food and reduction of food waste.
New: Blum sustainability brochure
For the first time, Blum presented a sustainability brochure for trade fair visitors to illustrate the fittings manufacturer's commitment and measures taken over the past business year. This 80-page comprehensive brochure is based on Global Reporting Initiative guidelines; in other words, it makes defined operational, ecological and social figures transparent and quickly comprehensible and comparable.
The new sustainability logo represents the many big and small ideas and improvements at Blum