Education Restaurant Furniture For Top Universities

Are universities offering a sustainable interior environment?

More and more we are seeing universities having a clear focus on innovation and sustainability for their refurbishment projects. The practical requirements (such as fire safety and durability needs) are still there but there is a clear need for communicating the sustainability of products both in the construction of the products and also the deconstruction element.

Specifically, we find the criteria for sustainable furniture vary but often this can mean:

• at least 40% recycled, renewable materials if plastic or metal.
• furniture which is designed for deconstruction with components that can be recycled
• reclaimed wood
• timber is Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Grown in Britain (GiB) or Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) approved

We are also seeing fabrics needing to comply with regulations such as:

• Global Recycle Standard
• Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)
• GreenGuard certified

As the demand for sustainable contract furniture grows, we are seeing manufacturers providing innovative solutions for materials and the way they are manufactured. However, for wood-based products, we are also seeing a return to something very simply made and produced in the UK.

Having worked with the UK's top universities, providing contract furniture for a range of venues, for over 20 years, we have noticed trends and changes in interior design style but are now seeing that develop further into the manufacturing process. What is also interesting is that there is a wide range of global standards and in time, we are sure that these will develop further as the area of sustainability grows in importance and complexity.

Inside Out Contracts is a trusted supplier to the UK's top University and student accommodation providers, if you have a question regarding education restaurant furniture please do drop us a question in the form below or give us a call.