According to Wikipedia, Sustainable/ Industrial/ Recycled furniture design is “an effort to address the environmental impact of furniture products on the environment by considering all aspects of the design and manufacturing process. Design considerations can include using recycled materials in the manufacturing process and using products that can be disassembled and recycled after their useful life.”
Here at Padma’s Plantation we take that effort very seriously. Truth is, most of our items are sustainable in some way or another. When we first started our business, all our products were produced with Sustainable natural materials such as Rattan, Abaca, Sea-grass, Bamboo and Water Hyacinth. As we grew and got into case goods, we focused mostly in Reclaimed woods.
Here are some frequently asked questions and answers about Sustainability:
In Padma’s Plantation’s words – what is sustainability and being “green”?
Sustainability is the idea of using materials found in nature in a way that is less or least harmful to the environment. It’s a balance of limiting any possible damages through the use of ecologically safe practice to secure the future of the environment around us while manufacturing a product. Being “green” refers to those of us who focus their efforts on producing such a product – with this global awareness at the forefront of their production.
When did Padma’s Plantation first become aware of the concept of sustainability?
While visiting Indonesia during a design trip, we were taught and shown exactly how fast bamboo and rattan grows and replenishes itself. In fact, maintaining these materials, by cutting them down, promotes fantastic re-growth. We learned that the products we chose to work with for their beauty also served a much more significant purpose – the preservation
of our ecosystems. With that knowledge, we realized the importance of continuing to work these resources, such as bamboo and abaca, to create our furniture and accessories.
Why is Padma’s Plantation interested in sustainability?
Plain and simply put, it is healthier for our environment. As the world population continues to grow and industry builds, we are being depleted of our natural resources, which greatly impacts ecological support systems. Every person’s contribution to sustaining the environment will benefit the world in the long run. We want these support systems to be around for future generations to use – it is our responsibility to make sure this will happen. Striving to always find better and eco-friendly ways of making our furniture and accessories, aligning ourselves with the concept of sustainability was the natural choice.
What does Padma’s Plantation do to promote sustainability in the design of its products?
First and foremost, we work with manufacturers who share the same compassion for global awareness that we do. We focus on using sustainable materials such as bamboo, abaca, rattan, plantation grown and government certified hardwoods and Reclaimed woods in production. Through regular visits to our manufacturers, constant contact, and through the use of 3rd party quality inspectors, we are able to review practices and methods in the development of our product. We also make strong efforts to package our items in a way that maximizes space and usage on containers ultimately reducing the amount of transporting that needs to take place. We promise to not only be exceptional in our design, but responsible in our designs.