Singapore Furniture Industries Council Monthly Sustainability Column – Introduction & Outline
With evolving sustainability regulations and rising consumer and investor demand for more sustainable furniture, what might a more sustainable furniture sector look like? Get inspired by more sustainable furniture products and business models in the Singaporean furniture space in this new monthly #SustainabilitySpotlight column!
#SustainabilitySpotlight will be written by our friends at the Singapore Furniture Industries Council (SFIC). The SFIC has been established since 1981 as the official representative body of Singapore’s furniture and furnishings industry. It has a membership of over 300 companies, spanning across five key industry clusters: furniture manufacturers, interior fit-out specialists, retailers, designers, as well as materials/ components/services providers. Collectively, their industry players have a global footprint in over 80 countries to-date.
Currently, the council represents 95% of established furniture manufacturers in Singapore, of whom 65% have subsidiary manufacturing plants in various countries across the region, including China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam.
As an aggregator and multiplier in the furniture eco-system, the SFIC’s vision is to position the Singapore furniture industry as the nexus of tomorrow’s work-life integration for sustainable urban living. In essence, the industry aims to pursue the three key pillars of market agility, urbanite-centricity and enterprise adeptness to drive the industry further.
In the next 6 months, the SFIC will be sharing their research and case studies of furniture companies that are working on the following key sustainability themes:
- Developing a Corporate Sustainability Strategy (SME & Beginner-Friendly!)
- What is corporate sustainability and what is its value to businesses? How can companies like yours start on your sustainability journey?
- New Environmentally-Friendly Materials
- With rising consumer demand for more sustainable products and packaging and evolving national regulations like the Mandatory Packaging Agreement, which more environmentally-friendly materials can your company explore for both your products and packaging?
- Circular Economy
- Ever heard of the term ‘circular economy’ — the antithesis of the traditional take-make-waste process of the linear economy? Why and how can companies go circular and how might we measure circularity?
- Health & Well-Being
- With definitive links between indoor air quality and human health, there is rising consumer awareness of harmful chemicals and materials used to make furniture products. How can your furniture company be more conscious about the impacts of your products — on both your employees’ and consumers’ health?
- Secondhand Furniture & Upcycling
- What has been driving consumers to purchase secondhand and up-cycled furniture over new furniture? What opportunities can your company leverage from this growing market?
- Advanced Manufacturing
- Thanks to advanced manufacturing technologies, companies can now benefit from versatile production methods that are more efficient, effective and responsive. What is the value of advanced manufacturing to the furniture industry? What are some technologies which you can consider adopting?
Stay tuned to next month for our first article on ‘Developing a Corporate Sustainability Strategy’!