Moving towards sustainability

At HOWE we believe that good design is design that moves you. Just as we believe that good design must contribute to a more sustainable future.

Because our world needs it now more than ever. It needs us to care about the ways we source, develop, and manufacture products. It needs us to continue moving forward, setting new and better standards at a consistent pace. So, we never stop at HOWE.

Taking inspiration from the Bauhaus Movement, HOWE has always been compelled by a strong focus on design’s purpose. This focus extends to sustainability.

Just as form follows function, we believe that every means of sourcing, manufacturing, and distribution must follow the highest sustainability standards.

Since 2011 we have worked within the strong guide provided by our Sustainable Design Guidelines — for new and existing HOWE designs. The guidelines contain a comprehensive checklist for producing the safest and healthiest products possible.

We source responsibly in regard to materials, employees, and the environment.

By sharing all our information in detail — concerning our commitment to this responsible move — we help customers everywhere to achieve their own sustainable goals.

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Our achievements

Always pushing the envelope has resulted in a great number of sustainability achievements.

Over the years HOWE has launched new standards and guidelines, partnered with like-minded collaborators, and achieved several CSR and sustainability wins.

2009 ISO 14001 certification

2009 FSC® certification (license number C041311)

2010 Design for Disassembly

2011 HOWE Sustainable Design Guidelines

2011 The Take Back Program

2012 SixE chair designed with a Cradle to Cradle mindset

2013-2014 Global GreenTagCertTM product certifications

2013-2014 Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs)

2016 FSC® becomes standard for all HOWE veneer chair components

2018-2019 Health Product Declarations (HPDs)

Our move on materials & manufacturing

At HOWE we source our materials and manufacture our products according to a comprehensive code of conduct. We aim to produce outstanding functional design with minimal environmental impact — at every step in the process.

By following our HOWE Sustainable Design Guidelines, we maintain the highest standards for both new and existing designs while setting the right tone and focus for continuous improvements.

We only work with suppliers that meet the same high standards we set for ourselves in regard to materials and the environment. The FSC® certification guarantee that all the wood we build with is a product of responsible forestry.

FSC® Certification is standard for all HOWE veneer chair components – at no upcharge to customers. Selected HOWE tables can be made FSC® certified upon request.
We ensure long-lasting product quality and compliance with legal requirements — taking our environmental challenges into account. The solid foundations for our successful strategy are ISO 9001 for quality management and ISO 14001 for environmental management.
We develop safe and non-toxic products to reduce emissions and chemicals, producing an absolute minimum of both.

Chrome III
Using Chrome III rather than the commonly used Chrome VI eliminates significant quantities of chemicals.

VOC emissions
Our stringent VOC emissions testing guarantees that our products contribute to a healthy indoor environment.

Chemical assessments
Health Product Declaration (HPD), ISO 14025 EPDs, and Global GreenTag^CertTM — among other standards — all require assessment of the product’s chemical composition. Through our product chemicals database, we can generate any report requested.
Through good design and conscious choice of materials, we strive to maximize the life cycle of our products.

Disassembly

Every HOWE product is designed to be easily disassembled. This enables better material recovery and refurbishment, and effective recycling.

Plastic Identification Codes

Careful identification of the different types of plastic ensures optimal material recovery and value retention.

Recycled Material

All materials sourced at HOWE are selected based on their ability to maximize recycled content.
By introducing the Take Back Option in 2011, we have given our customers the opportunity to return used HOWE furniture to HOWE.

All details regarding HOWE’s Take Back Option can be discussed with HOWE’s Customer Service Team.

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Our certificates

The HOWE concept of Moving Sustainability drives everything we do, including our compliance with requirements and leading certifications.

No matter the scale or requirements of your project, we take it on with a comprehensive code of conduct, leading certifications, and vital documentation shared transparently.

Explore our credentials

United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals

HOWE has been using the UN Sustainable Development Goals to focus our efforts.

As a manufacturer of high-end multifunctional contract furniture, we truly believe we can make a major contribution to a more sustainable future. Although all the UN Sustainable Development Goals are integrated in our activities, the following four are most material to HOWE and where we can make the biggest difference.

Learn more

Moving on

At HOWE we continuously strive to reduce our environmental impact.

It is important to us that we, in all of our activities – from sourcing to manufacturing, and from administration to distribution – contribute to a more sustainable world.

For us, doing good means always doing better.

It means that we do not stop at simply meeting legal requirements and leading global certifications defined in ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 — we go beyond. We have worked to compile all the essential information needed to ensure complete transparency regarding product contents and associated health information for many of our products, as required by Health Product Declarations (HPDs). Additionally, many of our furniture items also comply with the Healthier Hospitals Initiative (HHI) requirements.

Our next move is to finalize the EU Ecolabel certification for select 40/4, SixE, and Tempest versions. The EU Ecolabel acknowledges environmental excellence — it will prove unequivocally that our furniture meets high environmental standards throughout its entire life cycle.

Sustainability may be a relentless pursuit. But we believe the only path is to keep moving and engage everyone we work with in taking on the environmental challenges we share.