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MATERIALS 53
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at improving the climate change impact category in all Other result consolidated in ECOFURNY concerns the
productive stages. mindset.
• 4.Reducing processing stages concerning assembling ECOFURNY conducted an intensive internal training
of the components and machining the desktop and programme for workers in each department. Two events

substitution of virgin raw materials with recycled to reduce in 2017 on the life cycle concept and PEF and three more
the environmental footprint in “assembly” stage. events in 2018 involved around 100 of the 180 employees and
• 5.Reducing packaging amount (−20%) in the laminate specific initiatives for managers. The aim of this process was
office desk to improve the relative life cycle phase. to make workers aware of how to apply the LCA information
to produce better furniture products.
Generally, with the LCM adoption, the environmental Additionally, to environmental results, ECOFURNY declared
performance of ECOFURNY office desks improve. The wood improvements in the external relations. The ECOFURNY
product achieves a result of −25 percent compared with the managers detected most customer satisfaction, improving
first PEF. company's image and new business opportunities during the

For this product, the “Resource use, mineral and metals” LCM adoption process, “Our customers and suppliers have
impact category obtains a reduction around by 27 percent shown a significant interest in the research and the achieved
linked to minimisation of metal components. environmental improvements.
Climate change and acidification improve by 25 percent in The data produced was provided to confirm our path by
the life cycle and in the “Component” product stage. Concerning providing scientific data and guarantees” declared supply
the wood desk the improvements are linked to the adopted chain manager. Stakeholder engagement improves through
measures in the “component” phase as the reduction of metal the involvement of architects, suppliers, consultants and other

component and the energy efficiency solutions. organisations in the PEF and then LCM implementation process.
The comparative PEF (2021) analysis of laminate desk Cooperation with universities, trade associations and
shows improvements by 11 percent in the life cycle compared suppliers gave the company access to a set of knowledge and
to the PEF in 2018. experience that was valorised in the internalisation process of
The study, completed in the 2021, summarises the the LCM, “Several barriers faced in the implementation of the
evolution of products to greater environmental sustainability. LCM were overcome by the support and sharing of knowledge
Indeed, eutrophication freshwater impact category reduces with the research team” explained the environmental manager.
by 13 percent and many others included the climate change The OL supported the company in making choices based on
improve by 12 percent. the LCM, problem solving and staff involvement promoting the

Contributing to this result were not only measures on
metal components and energy efficiency changes but also the
packaging's replacement. Three productive stages (component,
packaging and end of life) obtained significant reductions in
all impact categories.
“Thanks to the PEF results, we have been able to understand
the effectiveness of our production choices and will be able

to rely on a scientific information base in our decision-making
processes” confirmed CEO.