Here at Mitab we take our environmental responsibilities vey seriously. Thats why it is important for us to design and manufacture in a responsible and sustainable manner. And it is equally important for that to be easily identified by our customers so that they can make informed, responsible decisions when choosing furniture. To do this, our furniture undergoes independent assessment and certification by third-party organisations, such as the Nordic Swan Ecolabel.
The Nordic Swan Ecolabel, or Svanen as its known in Northern Europe, was established in 1989 with the purpose of making it easier for consumers to identify and choose more environmentally friendly products. Today the certification covers items from toilet paper and furniture to houses and grocery stores.
Products that receive the Nordic Swan Ecolabel have been stringently assessed and deemed to meet a set of tough environmental standards that identify them as being less environmentally harmful than non-certified products. Now recognised by 96% of all Swedes, it is operated by state-owned companies in a not-for-profit manner and is not influenced by the interests of industry.
The Nordic Swan Ecolabel is a voluntary ‘Type 1’ environmental certification dictated by the ISO 14024 standard, meaning it is independent and is assessed over the entire life cycle of a product or service, from the raw materials used, its production, through its use phase and eventual disposal. This means it is comprehensive and without influence or bias.
The certification is awarded following extensive tests from independent laboratories and detailed inspections of the manufacturing sites.
The criteria of assessment are continuously revised and tightened meaning products must undergo repeated analysis under increasingly challenging conditions to ensure the standards and products are always improving in relation to the latest environmental knowledge and thinking.
Specifically relating to furniture, the requirements promote the use of certified timbers, recycled plastics and metals, and the use of fewer substances that are harmful to people’s health and the environment. Nordic Swan Ecolabeled furniture is also highly durable, with a long in-service life expectancy, and is designed and manufactured with recyclability in mind.
Three Mitab products currently display the Nordic Swan Ecolabel – Mute, Courage and Stereo – though many more are soon to be assessed.