In our showroom for CDW 2026, we hosted a talk with Kronospan and Camira.
This talk features:
- Cameran Harris, Kronospan
- Tom Lawson, Camira
Some standout moments for us:
“Recycled wood can be used to manufacture valuable products such as particle board which Formetiq use in their furniture. At the end of its life it can be crushed down and used again so the cycle is essentially endless. We clean up a whole load of waste wood by doing that. Alongside that we’re also helping to clean the air. The panel board sector in the UK sequesters roughly 1.1 million tons of CO2 – that statistic is taken from the year of 2023 from the Wood Recyclers Association.”
“We’re working to about 90% recycled content now. Obviously we’ve had to ensure that the quality remains the same with this. We can guarantee a minimum of 80% post-consumer recycled timber within RPB products. For MDF we only use the byproducts from our sawmills, hacker chips, sawdust as well as small roundwoods are used for MDF. This can be the most climate positive use for these materials.”
“In 2023 we recycled 3.5 million tons of wood, which is 5.3 million trees saved. 2024, we’re at 4.4 million tons, so we’re really upping it – 6.7 million trees saved. Then last year we went to 5.1 million tons of recycled wood and we’re saving 7.7 million trees! 97% of wood in the UK is recycled. 22% is used in wood panel production – that would include ourselves.”
By using particle board, Formetiq furniture actively participates in a closed-loop system. When our workspace furniture eventually reaches the end of its life, the wooden components do not need to go to a landfill; they can be crushed down and compressed into new panel boards all over again. By choosing recycled wood over virgin timber we help to create a market demand for waste wood, driving the recycling and cleaning up of discarded timber from construction and other industries.
If waste wood is burned or left to rot in a landfill, that CO2 is released back into the atmosphere. By trapping that wood inside long-lasting furniture, the carbon remains ‘locked in’. Because we use recycled panel boards in our desks, tables and storage, every piece of furniture we sell acts as a mini carbon sink, directly contributing to this national environmental achievement.
Formetiq’s material choices aren’t just about preventing waste—they are an active tool for reducing atmospheric carbon, aligning perfectly with our ISO 14001 environmental certification and our goal to reach Net Zero carbon emissions.
“The other thing that we’re well known for is making fabric from recycled bottles. So the Rivet that you’re actually sitting on now – that’s made from recycled plastic bottles, and we have a lot of different ranges that are made from that. We also have two ranges called Quest and Oceanic that are made from ocean waste.”
Workspace designers are increasingly demanding sustainable, circular-economy solutions. By upholstering our seating with Camira’s fabrics – spun from 100% recycled plastic bottles and recovered ocean waste – designers can specify high-performance, commercial-grade furniture that actively reduces plastic pollution and helps clients meet BREEAM, LEED, and internal ESG targets.
Spaces resonate more when they have a story. Specifying our Havana lounge chair or SYSTM acoustic screen isn’t just a design choice; it becomes a tangible talking point for your clients to showcase their commitment to cleaning up our oceans and reducing landfill waste.
Camira’s closed-loop manufacturing proves that recycled materials do not mean a sacrifice in quality. Designers get access to rich textures, vibrant color palettes, and heavy-duty durability, perfectly complementing our sleek, modular furniture structures. Camira Rivet matches plastic colours in our Havana range.
“The Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method is a science-based validation and certification system for the built environment. So everything we’ve discussed about our products and how sustainable they are means that we also have EPDs for the products which we give to you guys for your workplace design projects. This also means that the Formetiq furniture ranges are a fantastic choice if you’re looking for BREEAM excellence because they’ve got both of our lovely products in.”
By choosing Formetiq, you aren’t just selecting beautiful workspace furniture; you are specifying a built-in sustainability toolkit that protects the environment, streamlines your BREEAM certification process, and elevates the integrity of your entire design project.