"Footprints sustainable, let's regenerate the future" is the title of the event organized by FederlegnoArredo on June 27 in Milan on the occasion of the annual meeting of the Federation, designed to present to members and press FLA Plus, the strategic plan on sustainability carried out in collaboration with the Symbola Foundation.

FLA Plus is a hub of projects designed to support all those companies in the supply chain of wood-furniture that will face the challenge of the future in the context of the ecological transition.

The idea was born in the name of respect for the environment, a more conscious use of raw materials that is becoming increasingly urgent, but also in the name of that competitiveness on the markets that Italian companies have achieved over the years and can not and do not want to lose.

 

Wood-furniture supply chain, pioneer of the green Industry

Federlegnoarredo has taken a leading role in the transition of the entire sector towards greater competitiveness and awareness; the aim of the association is in fact to make the wood-furniture industry become a pioneer of the green industry, as an authoritative voice on the subject and recognized and recognizable guide for entrepreneurs and operators in the sector.

“Our intent - explained Claudio Feltrin, president of FederlegnoArredo - was right from the start to encourage companies in our supply chain on the path towards sustainability, to become leaders. We need to be more sustainable to be more competitive, but no one can be left alone. Our sector - Feltrin emphasized - is already virtuous, in many cases it has even been a forerunner, but now the time has come to activate a real 'supply chain scheme' that aims at a zero waste horizon in which quality intended as product durability is our litmus test ".

FLA Plus: a hub of concrete projects

The FLA Plus platform is therefore a large set of projects: reforestation projects, a database of sustainable materials, green training kits, support in the management of certifications, circularity tools and sustainable budgets, just to name a few.

"Plus" indicates a system operation, which involves FederlegnoArredo, its associates and strategic partners, in a path that speaks in the plural.

The platform will be constantly enriched with new initiatives, whose progress and evolution can always be monitored on the site (https://fla-plus.it/), which will help the associated companies to find a new key to competitiveness on the market. .

“Sustainability is not done in words, but in deeds. Furniture companies have been investing in this direction for some time. Now the challenge is more complex and we think that our task is to act as facilitators of a process of change already underway", explained Maria Porro, President Assarredo with responsibility for sustainability for the furniture area.  "The undisputed value of Made in Italy is linked to the beauty and quality of the products, made to last over time: essential aspects of the concept of sustainability. But the commitment of individual companies is no longer enough, for a profound and effective transformation it is necessary to work in a production chain perspective".

Paolo Fantoni, vice president with responsibility for sustainability for the wood area, added: "Our supply chain is already advantaged, because having wood as a raw material, naturally sustainable, has historically also developed a great technological and industrial capacity in the recycling of raw materials. Wood products are important carbon sequestration tanks. This helps Europe in its challenge to combat climate change, contributing to a safer world for future generations. If reuse and circularity are key elements of our sector, in the face of the worsening of the crisis in the availability of raw materials, the enhancement of the wood resource will be increasingly important, planning a correct management of the national heritage and developing a local supply chain ".

Reliable and competent partners

To accompany companies in this ecological transition path, some reliable and competent partners have also been identified such as the Politecnico di Milano for training projects and Banca Intesa San Paolo for an assessment of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) performance for the purpose to identify areas for improvement that will lead to the drafting of sustainable financial statements.