Awareness of the green credentials of products sold in the fitted kitchen and bedroom market is growing beyond appliances, according to leading manufacturers and suppliers in the industry.
A new survey by home design portal Houzz, reveals that 94% of homeowners renovating their kitchens are looking to incorporate sustainable elements in their designs, mainly low-energy LED bulbs, energy-saving appliances and energy-efficient windows.
But now the awareness is spreading to the products used for wood-based kitchen cabinets and worktops.
Tom Sharp, northern area sales manager for EGGER, a global manufacturers and distributor of wood-based panels, says consumer focus on sustainability is beginning to influence retailers of all sizes, who in turn, want to learn more about the goods they sell from their suppliers.
KBB trade show
Mr Sharp was speaking at a KBB trade show held in Ashton-under-Lyne organised by Oldham-headquartered Hill’s Panel Products (HPP), which has been supplying doors, board, fittings and accessories to the fitted furniture market for 32 years.
He said: “We are finding more and more customers are becoming interested in our story as a company and how important sustainability is to us. We now get a lot of interest in how our products are made and how they can be recycled.
“Even the smaller scale customers like the Mr and Mrs Smith showrooms right through to the bigger companies are taking notice, they are all developing a genuine interest in our eco-credentials.”
About 500 visitors attended the day-long event, called HPX, which featured stands showcasing the latest developments and products from global brands such as fittings manufacturer Blum, chipboard manufacturers EGGER and Kronospan, alongside brands such as Congleton-headquartered Reginox sinks and Sensio lighting from South Yorkshire.
Spreading the sustainability message
Mr Sharp’s comments come after HPP’s marketing and business development director, Dan Mounsey, featured in KBB-focused media calling on retailers to spread the sustainability message.
He said: “Sustainability is a massive topic at the moment and as a distributor, HPP can help spread the message about the eco-credentials of our suppliers and their products.
“Chipboard used for fitted furniture and wood-based worktops is a carbon negative material, it stores more carbon than it releases. It has a 10-20 year lifecycle and then you can recycle it again afterwards.
“It’s good news retailers are beginning to take heed. In years gone by, sustainability was not on their radar because consumers were not asking the questions about it. Hopefully, we’re beginning to see all that changing.”
