Our principles for sustainable design

Designing seating solutions with the lowest carbon footprint possible, consuming less energy, and switching to renewables where possible.

In 2022, 93% of the electricity we purchase globally as a company was from renewable sources, and we have lowered the energy consumed per unit made by 36% since 2015.

Long term, our aim is to reduce our CO2e emissions by 55% per unit.

That means reducing our reliance on natural materials and increasing the use of recycled materials, whilst creating as little waste as possible ourselves.

In 2022 we used 1298 tonnes of recycled plastic in our products and combined with other materials, our long-term target is to have on average 60% recycled materials in our products.

The aim of our seating solution design is to always promote the health and well-being of our users. We avoid all hazardous materials, which can potentially harm our factory employees and customers, and reduce the number of chemicals that make it into our seating.

We began phasing out chrome in our products several years ago, switching to more environmentally friendly alternatives, and all new products are made without using adhesives.

Through weight optimisation and smart dimensioning, our products are no heavier than they have to be. Low weight designs mean less material usage, reducing the strain on the environment. It also lowers transportation costs, both financially and environmentally.

It also has a health aspect, as lighter products are easier to handle and carry, resulting in fewer injuries.

Profim Revo is a great example of this, using REPP (recycled expanded polypropylene) instead of traditional plywood. It's weight is reduced by as much as 40%, using a material already in it's second life, remolded with no additives included.

The best solutions are often the simplest. Minimising the number of components required to make a fully functional seating solution means that we require fewer tools, fewer manufacturing processes, and simpler assembly. It also means less packaging, storage, and transportation.

This significantly reduces the amount of energy that goes into making our designs and is possible through innovative design and integrated functions as much as possible.

HÅG Capisco is a chair continually developed since launch in 1984. a 2006 redesign project saw a significant reduction in components needed and materials used, switching some wood and steel to recycled plastic, removing glue and reducing the backrest from 19 to 6 components.

Through continuous research and partnerships, we are increasing the amount of post-consumer recycled materials that make it into our products, whilst maintaining high-quality standards.

This takes waste that is otherwise destined for landfill and lowers the overall co2e emissions generated per product, due to lower energy consumption requirements when using recycled materials such as plastic, steel and aluminium.

Steering clear of harmful substances and toxic materials such as glues and chrome pushes our designers to find original ways of achieving their aims, including our patented drawstring technology.

HÅG Tion, for example, is made from between 66-69% recycled materials, including 97-98% recycled aluminium.

Our high-quality, durable, designs are built to withstand extended daily usage in busy workspace environments, engineered for long life. Parts are designed to allow for easy replacement of wearing and broken parts, with spare parts and repair guides available online.

Endurance also applies to aesthetics. Our aim is for seating that never goes out of fashion, and therefore never out with the trash when there is still life left in them.

Our seating is put through rigorous testing, and we are one of the few manufacturers that offer products with up to a 10-year guarantee, with many parts actually designed to last many years longer than that.

At the end of its life, designing for disassembly enables easy separation, sorting, and recycling of the components of our products, to put them back in the loop. Parts that are fused together (by glues or inaccessible fittings) can be hard to separate and sort, and most likely end up in a landfill.

With all of our new designs, we make sure that most parts are easily removed using common tools, making it easy to sort for recycling as well as making repairs.