{"id":807837,"date":"2023-04-17T14:52:02","date_gmt":"2023-04-17T18:52:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.steelcase.com\/?p=807837"},"modified":"2023-04-25T14:05:10","modified_gmt":"2023-04-25T18:05:10","slug":"earth-week-collective-actions-protect-planet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.steelcase.com\/research\/articles\/topics\/people-planet\/earth-week-collective-actions-protect-planet\/","title":{"rendered":"Every Week Is Earth Week: How Collective Actions Protect the Planet"},"content":{"rendered":"

Each day, we\u2019re flooded with urgent calls to climate action and many of the answers are often difficult to grasp. It can all feel overwhelming \u2013 the search for solutions, daunting. For example, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports<\/a> more than 12 million tons of furniture is dumped into landfills each year, while only 0.33% is recycled.<\/p>\n

One contributor to this crisis is \u2018fast furniture\u2019 \u2013 cheap and ultimately disposable desks and chairs that grew in popularity during the pandemic. Much like \u2018fast fashion,\u2019 it is not designed to last. Not only are the final products ending up in landfills, but the packaging and scrap created during the manufacturing process contributes to more waste and more carbon emissions from production and shipping.<\/p>\n

No Single \u2013 or Simple \u2013 Solution<\/strong><\/p>\n

There\u2019s no one answer and no single source of accountability. Everyone who works with the built environment \u2013 manufacturers, designers, regulators, suppliers and consumers \u2013 will need to work together to reduce carbon emissions. Progress requires industry-wide efforts, energized people and collaboration with global partners. Collective action goes beyond any one organization, and starts with helping suppliers reduce their impact on the planet while working to meet evolving customer sustainability requirements. The ripple effect grows exponentially with each positive change. Targets surrounding the manufacturing process and resulting waste is an area where Steelcase and our partners can help make progress toward a better future for our planet.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur goal is to share what we\u2019re learning as we work toward\u00a0a better future\u00a0for the planet\u201d, says Mary Ellen Mika, global director of sustainability for Steelcase. \u201cWe have a targeted approach which focuses on three key areas: reducing our carbon footprint, designing for circularity and choosing and using materials responsibly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Three new initiatives demonstrate how Steelcase is working with suppliers, partners and dealers to help our customers and reduce our impact on the planet.<\/p>\n

Reducing Waste in Product Packaging<\/strong><\/p>\n\"\"

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Tons of not-readily recyclable styrofoam blocks were used each year to ship Verb tables.<\/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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The styrofoam blocks can be seen here, in the product packaging.<\/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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The foam has now been replaced with easily recyclable folded cardboard.<\/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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The new packaging eliminates foam waste from landfills and makes room for more products on trucks, resulting in less carbon emissions from shipping products.<\/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

Steelcase is designing new ways of protecting its products in shipping to meet its goal of eliminating single-use plastics in packaging by 2030. Steelcase operations teams in the U.S. and Europe are bringing the organization closer to our 2030 goal while also saving money and reducing emissions from shipping products.<\/p>\n

In the U.S., a cross-collaborative workshop known as \u2018Hack the Pack\u2019 resulted in reconfigured packaging for the Steelcase Verb table which eliminates the use of protective foam blocks in favor of easy-to-recycle cardboard.<\/p>\n

The impact is significant:<\/p>\n