As a supplier of high quality furniture to residential and commercial users Residence Fine Furniture has a commitment to the principle of shared product stewardship – i.e. all those involved in the life cycle of our products should take responsibility for the impacts on the natural environment that result from the production, distribution, purchase, use and disposal of our products.

This commitment is in keeping with the concept of environmental sustainability, which in simple terms is the ability to maintain the qualities that are valued in the human environment.

The concept of environmental sustainability is generally agreed as having at its core the following principles:

• Designing and manufacturing products to have a long initial life, and which can be renewed or refurbished at minimal economic and social cost;
• Designing and manufacturing product in such way that the use of natural resources is minimized, not only in the initial phases, but over the whole life cycle of the product;
• Using only natural resources that are renewable and / or recyclable;
• Minimizing the creation of waste – i.e. by-product of the production and other processes for which there is no economic or social use;
• Being able to disassemble the product at the end of its life, and being able to recycle or properly dispose of its components with minimal impact on the environment.

From its formation Residence Fine Furniture has adopted and followed polices and practices to achieve the goal of environmental sustainability in relation to its products.

We are cognizant of the Environmental Management Systems (EMS) initiatives of the Australian Federal Government, State Governments, the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) and of various other Australian industry associations, and we follow the principles of those programs to the maximum extent possible in the entire supply chain for our product.

We are committed to a continuous program of product and process improvement, and we work closely with our suppliers at all levels to achieve and maintain our goals and the goals of the EMS initiatives.

We will shortly commence the formal process of obtaining Green Star ratings for our furniture under the auspices of the Green Building Council of Australia, and based on the following believe that we will obtain 4 star or better rating under the Green Star – Office Interiors evaluation and classification scheme.

Product Life

Residence furniture is designed and hand crafted to have a multi-generational life, which we achieve in several ways.

Our furniture predominantly uses design elements which have proven to be functional and popular over many generations. Periodically we incorporate contemporary design features, but always with a view to maintaining the generational appeal of our furniture. We are not influenced by fleeting fashion trends which might result in design obsolescence.

In each piece of our furniture we use only the finest hard woods, fabrics and fittings, all carefully selected according to their function in the piece as a whole.

The utilization of these materials combined with our use of the finest time proven cabinet making techniques results in sturdy, reliable furniture which should last many years in normal use with reasonable care.

When signs of wear and tear develop, or when the piece suffers misadventure, the wood components can be refinished and the upholstery can be replaced, thus prolonging the life of the product and obviating the need to discard or replace the piece as a whole.

Minimal Use of Natural Resources

The minimal use of natural resources in the making of our furniture is a natural consequence of the material selection and crafting techniques.

The raw materials used are relatively expensive, and it is incumbent on the craftsmen and women to ensure that they use only that which is necessary in the making of each piece.

The furniture is made, finished, packed and moved predominantly by hand, with very little use of large machines, thus minimizing the use of electricity and other energy in the furniture making process.

The natural lacquer finish is applied by hand, not sprayed, and thus there are no emissions of any description.

Water is not used in the crafting or finishing process, other than in the curing of the natural lacquer. This is done in a room heated by the sun, with humidity increased simply by dowsing the walls with buckets of water.

Use of Natural, Recycled and Recyclable Resources

There is very little use of synthetic materials in the making, finishing and packaging of our furniture.

Where ever we can we use only plantation woods. Other woods are acquired only from sources controlled or approved by the government of the country of origin.

We promote the use of natural upholstery materials for our furniture, including silk, leather and horse hair fabric.

Silk is the most natural of all fibres. It is produced entirely without the use of fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides, and our fabric is made entirely by hand in a traditional village setting.

Our leather is a by-product of the human food chain, and is tanned only with natural tanning agents.

Our horse hair fabric is made from horse tails harvested from living horses, with no harm to the horses. The tails re-grow up to five times during the life of the horse.

Glue used in the making of our furniture, which is quite minimal, is generally that made as a by-product of the human food chain.

There is virtually no plastic used in our furniture – small amounts may be included in fittings such as shelf supports.

Our furniture is packed and shipped primarily in paper and corrugated paper board, which incorporate waste wood and recycled paper. Plastic sheeting is not used.

Expanded polystyrene foam sheets are used sparingly in the packing of our furniture, and only to the extent that alternative natural material consistent with the need to protect our valuable product is not available.

All of our packing material is disposed of in Australia through approved waste recycling depots.

Minimization of Waste Creation

The processes used in the production and delivery of our products to our customers result in the output of only minor amounts of material that are not usable in another economic or social endeavour.

Wood off cut is sold to manufacturers of parquet flooring and handicrafts. Wood dust is used to produce joss sticks. Silk and leather off cuts can be composted. No liquid waste in produced in the furniture making process.

End of Life Processes

With proper care in everyday use our furniture should last well beyond the generation of its making and purchase.

However, when the final decision has been made by the then owner to dispose of the product rather than to refurbish it, the furniture can be disassembled into its various components, according to material type, and reprocessed, recycled or disposed of in the appropriate manner.