{"id":159739,"date":"2025-10-21T06:25:49","date_gmt":"2025-10-21T05:25:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.steelcase.com\/eu-en\/?p=159739"},"modified":"2025-10-27T09:49:00","modified_gmt":"2025-10-27T09:49:00","slug":"driving-sustainability-through-industrial-innovation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.steelcase.com\/eu-en\/research\/articles\/topics\/people-planet\/driving-sustainability-through-industrial-innovation\/","title":{"rendered":"Driving Sustainability Through Industrial Innovation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Recognizing sustainability as a strategic priority, Cr\u00e9dit Agricole d\u2019\u00cele-de-France made a bold choice: instead of replacing all 4,700 reception chairs across its 273 branches with new ones, the bank opted for Steelcase\u2019s Remade<\/a>\u00a0remanufacturing service. This solution, part of Steelcase\u2019s broader circular services offering, involves bringing the chairs back to the factory to restore their original performance and quality. Once remanufactured, the chairs then begin a second life. This approach is a tangible example of how organizations can advance the circular economy in large-scale real estate projects.<\/p>\n

It all started with a practical need: after ten years of use, many chairs showed signs of wear and no longer met current aesthetic standards. Cr\u00e9dit Agricole d\u2019\u00cele-de-France initially considered replacing the reception seating and recycling the old chairs through its long-standing supplier. But Steelcase proposed another path: remanufacturing. The solution was immediately appealing. \u201cRemanufacturing resonated with our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) approach while allowing us to control costs,\u201d explains Karim Bedr, Head of Occupant Services, Security & Infrastructure.<\/p>\n\"\"

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Remanufacturing in action: each chair is carefully dismantled at the Sarrebourg factory. Worn parts are identified and removed, preparing the furniture for a second life in Cr\u00e9dit Agricole d\u2019\u00cele-de-France branches.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t

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Remanufacturing in action: each chair is carefully dismantled at the Sarrebourg factory. Worn parts are identified and removed, preparing the furniture for a second life in Cr\u00e9dit Agricole d\u2019\u00cele-de-France branches.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t

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Remanufacturing in action: each chair is carefully dismantled at the Sarrebourg factory. Worn parts are identified and removed, preparing the furniture for a second life in Cr\u00e9dit Agricole d\u2019\u00cele-de-France branches.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t

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Remanufacturing in action: each chair is carefully dismantled at the Sarrebourg factory. Worn parts are identified and removed, preparing the furniture for a second life in Cr\u00e9dit Agricole d\u2019\u00cele-de-France branches.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t

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Remanufacturing in action: each chair is carefully dismantled at the Sarrebourg factory. Worn parts are identified and removed, preparing the furniture for a second life in Cr\u00e9dit Agricole d\u2019\u00cele-de-France branches.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n

\u201cFavoring reuse over buying new furniture is a concrete way to reduce the carbon footprint.\u201d <\/p>Karim BedrHead of Occupant Services, Security & Infrastructure - Cr\u00e9dit Agricole<\/span><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n

The Circular Economy as a Driver of Innovation<\/strong><\/p>\n

At Cr\u00e9dit Agricole d\u2019\u00cele-de-France, this choice is part of a global strategy to reduce emissions, aligned with SBTi* objectives to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. The company\u2019s sustainability strategy is a reflection of its culture and values. \u201cOur CSR approach is at the heart of our strategy and permeates all departments,\u201d emphasizes Karim Bedr. In real estate, this translates into very intentional decisions at every stage: identifying the opportunity to launch a project, selecting local and ethical suppliers, and managing the carbon footprint related to furniture, construction, energy consumption, and recycling.<\/p>\n

Tackling an Industrial and Logistical Challenge Together<\/strong><\/p>\n

At the Sarrebourg factory, each chair undergoes a complete overhaul. All worn or damaged parts are replaced with new ones. This industrial process, made possible by returning the chairs to the factory, ensures a uniform upgrade and identical condition for all chairs sent. Each remanufactured chair comes with a five-year warranty.<\/p>\n

Beyond industrial performance, the logistical challenge is significant and requires organizing the collection, refurbishment, and delivery of thousands of chairs without disrupting branch operations. A buffer stock of 200 chairs was created to ensure business continuity. Each week, Steelcase collects used chairs from a group of branches, temporarily replaces them with already remanufactured chairs, then returns them once refurbished.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had to juggle transport constraints, production deadlines, raw material supply, and branch requirements,\u201d says Romain Bon, Strategic Account Manager for the project at Steelcase. \u201cWe needed to collect between 100 and 150 chairs per day, over just four working days a week, while maintaining a constant flow of remanufactured chairs. This required precise coordination between logistics teams, the Sarrebourg factory, and Cr\u00e9dit Agricole branches.\u201d<\/p>\n\"\"

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Replacement of upholstery, seat renovation, complete reassembly... at the end of the process, the chairs are shipped back to the branches, ready to start their second life.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t

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Replacement of upholstery, seat renovation, complete reassembly... at the end of the process, the chairs are shipped back to the branches, ready to start their second life.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t

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Replacement of upholstery, seat renovation, complete reassembly... at the end of the process, the chairs are shipped back to the branches, ready to start their second life.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t

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Replacement of upholstery, seat renovation, complete reassembly... at the end of the process, the chairs are shipped back to the branches, ready to start their second life.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t

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Replacement of upholstery, seat renovation, complete reassembly... at the end of the process, the chairs are shipped back to the branches, ready to start their second life.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

The success of this project also stems from the close collaboration between the two companies. For Karim Bedr, meeting such a complex logistical challenge required a trusted partner, capable of anticipating needs and reacting with agility. \u201cAs the project progressed, Steelcase teams measured stock discrepancies, adjusted orders… They advised us, listened to our expectations, and adapted throughout the process,\u201d he notes.<\/p>\n

This project perfectly illustrates how a company can combine operational efficiency and environmental commitment.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cMaking new from old is the spirit of remanufacturing. I recommend it whenever possible,\u201d says Karim Bedr. He reminds us that \u201cfavoring reuse over buying new furniture is a concrete way to reduce the carbon footprint.\u201d And it\u2019s proof that the circular economy isn\u2019t a limitation; it\u2019s a catalyst for innovation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Cr\u00e9dit Agricole and Steelcase remanufacture 4,700 chairs, advancing the circular economy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":85305,"featured_media":159702,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"topic":[15354,15569],"class_list":["post-159739","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","industry-workplace","topic-case-studies","topic-people-planet"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nDriving Sustainability Through Industrial Innovation - Steelcase<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.steelcase.com\/eu-en\/research\/articles\/topics\/people-planet\/driving-sustainability-through-industrial-innovation\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Driving Sustainability Through Industrial Innovation - 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