Sustainability

Together we are building a sustainable future

We want to make it easy for your business to be sustainable and welcome you to join our journey towards net zero. At ISKU, sustainability has been part of the company DNA since the very beginning in 1928. Our sustainability work has long been based on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agreed by the UN member states. This year ISKU joined the UN Global Compact initiative - the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative that provides a framework for companies to ambitiously advance these goals.

For us, sustainability has always meant taking actions. We invest in the circular economy thinking and go through the product life cycle from the designer’s desk to a finished piece of furniture. This comes to life, for example, through our certified quality (ISO 9001) and environmental systems (ISO 14001) and by employing the PEFC certified tracking system for wood origin to support sustainable forestry.

To minimize our climate impact and reach carbon neutrality, the carbon footprint of all our operations has recently been calculated by a third-party on reliable standards. In addition to this, we have also made product-specific carbon footprint calculations. This way, our sustainable responsibility work comes to life in a concrete way to help guide you and your business in making sustainable choices.

To learn more about our responsibility acts over the past decade, see the Gallery of Achievement

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2021 Sustainability report

One sustainability objective of ISKU has been to determine the carbon footprint of the entire operations. We want to offer our customers solutions that support their way towards carbon neutrality. Our third-party carbon footprint calculations are based on reliable standards. We calculated the carbon footprint of our entire operation as well as product-specific carbon footprint calculations. Such calculations are a great way for us to bring our responsibility work to life, and provide our customers concrete ways to choose furniture solutions that support responsible sustainability.

Read the ISKU Sustainability Report 2021

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ISKU continues investing in renewable energy to reduce CO2 emissions

ISKU is a forerunner within its field when it comes to ensuring responsibility of its operations. One of Finland´s largest solar power plants in connection to the ISKU factory in Lahti, is another significant investment in responsibility. The solar power plant with over 6,000 solar panels was inaugurated on October 3, 2022. In the future, a significant part of the electricity used by ISKU factory will be produced locally with solar electricity. The energy produced by the solar power plant corresponds to the energy consumption of ISKU's production for about seven months.

Read more here

GLOBAL resposibility page - Carbon footprint calculations

Carbon footprint calculations lead the way towards carbon neutrality

One sustainability objective of ISKU has been to determine the carbon footprint of the entire operations. We want to offer our customers solutions that support their way towards carbon neutrality. Our third-party carbon footprint calculations are based on reliable standards. We calculated the carbon footprint of our entire operation as well as product-specific carbon footprint calculations. Such calculations are a great way for us to bring our responsibility work to life and provide our customers concrete ways to choose furniture solutions that support responsible sustainability.

Read more here

GLOBAL frontpage - Kaisa Vuori

ISKU joined the UN Global Compact initiative – the world's largest corporate sustainability initiative

“By joining the initiative, we want to show even stronger our commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Ten Principles of the Global Compact. We also want to openly report on our progress in corporate sustainability in accordance with the Global Compact's reporting framework”, says Kaisa Vuori, ISKU's Director of Sustainability.

Read more here

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3 x INNOVATION = BENCH - the GESS Awards 2021 Finalist

ISKU is shortlisted as GESS Innovation Awards 2021 finalist with Bench. This award is given to a product or service that is ahead of current thinking and demonstrates innovation at the highest level, with a way of doing something differently or more effectively. Bench emphasizes sustainable design and tackles safety issues brought forth by the pandemic.

Read more about Bench solution here

Nook GESS Winner

Nook - the GESS Awards 2020 Winner

Nook is a novel space-in-space learning solution, successfully combining pedagogical sustainability and eco-friendly manufacturing methods.

The easy set-up of the lightweight Nook felt elements encourages team work, creativity and problem-solving skills with an emphasis on the concept of joyful learning. The manufacturing material consists mainly (60%) of recycled Polyethylene Teraphthalate (PET) plastic bottles and is further fully recyclable.

Nook was awarded as the Best Sustainable / Eco-friendly Product in the GESS Education Awards 2020. Read more here.

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Kivikko - the GESS Awards 2019 Winner

We use the surplus material from the production of one product as the raw material for another. This is how, for example, the award-winning Kivikko seats and Amphi seating system designed by Henri Halla-aho, were created. The surplus material generated by the waste and cut-off pieces of foam plastic products is used as the raw material of Kivikko and Amphi. Again, the waste generated in the manufacture, is returned to the manufacturing process as raw material.

Kivikko seats were awarded as the Best Sustainable/Eco-friendly product in the GESS Education Awards 2019.

Read the story if Kivikko here

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Environmental responsibility

More than 90% of all the wood we use is PEFC certified. For the treatment of wooden components, we use UV-curable and water-soluble varnishes, wood stains and paints. In our products, the metal parts are 100% recyclable and the upholstery fabrics do not contain harmful substances nor do the plastic parts include phthalates.

We have implemented geothermal and solar power systems at our HQ and over 99% of the waste generated at our production can be recycled as material or energy. Also, by using mostly renewable materials in our packaging, we have reduced the amount of plastic by 20 000 kilograms/year. In our purchases, we prefer Finnish, environmentally-friendly materials.

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Forerunner in eco-friendly materials, production and packaging

For us at ISKU, responsibility becomes visible in many ways. Developing our quality and lifecycle thinking, the long lifespan and high level of recyclability of our products save natural resources and reduces the amount of waste. Thanks to the low level of VOC emissions and other environmental burdens, ISKU’s production operations have not required an environmental permit since 2015. We are also the only industrial company in the Finnish furniture sector that uses a PEFC (Chain of Custody) system to track the origin of the used timber. A number of our products have also been awarded the Nordic Swan Ecolabel. ISKU’s Still and Step+ are the world’s first office chairs with M1 classification which proves that the emissions into indoor air are demonstrably low.

Read more here

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Social Responsibility

To us, social sustainability means close collaboration and responsibility for our customers, staff and partners. ISKU creates employment for thousands of Finns throughout its supply chain. By ensuring good working conditions, creating jobs in Finland and acting globally in a responsible manner, we carry out corporate social responsibility and long-term sustainability.

During the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, the majority to our employees started working from home. To ensure effective and safe working, tools to cope with the changed conditions and opportunities for online training were actively provided.

At the ISKU factories, safe and healthy working practices and conditions were investigated and assessed. To prevent the epidemic from spreading and to ensure safe working conditions, employees were provided information on practices for factory visits, hygiene, such as hand washing, disinfection and cleaning of equipment, breaks and meals, work clothing, use of changing rooms and meetings. In addition, cleaning of the factory was increased.

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All products are carefully tested

We carry out committed work to ensure that ISKU products are safely manufactured and safe to use. The foundation of ISKU’s product development is formed by compliance with the requirements of EN and ISO standards and comprehensive testing. We test the strength, stability and safety or our products and the durability of the surface materials.

The products are tested at various stages of the product development process and in spot tests during production. ISKU has its own testing laboratory where hundreds of products go through the process of multiple tests every year.

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Corporate Responsibility Documents and Certificates

ISKU has ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001 certified quality, environmental and occupational health and safety systems, and Certified PEFC (Chain of Custody) wood traceability system. Here you will also find ISKU's quality, environmental, occupational health and safety policies and Code of Conduct for ISKU’s operations and suppliers.