What does sustainability in practice mean for us at Materia? We talked to Amanda Djerf, our Sustainability Manager, about her role, what inspires her and how she views sustainability in her daily work.
What does sustainability mean to you?
For me, sustainability is very much about long-term thinking. Making conscious choices today that last over time – for the environment, for people and for our business. Basically, I think it’s about stopping and thinking about the consequences of our choices, and trying to make choices that are good ones in the long term, too. This applies both on a small scale and on a large scale.
Which sustainability initiative we are working on right now do you find most exciting?
What I think is particularly exciting right now is that sustainability is getting closer to product development, and can be involved in making an impact right from the start. We can look at materials, design and different solutions together and think about how we can develop our products from a sustainability perspective. A good example is our Ina chair, which is made from 100% recycled and recyclable plastic. In connection with this, we have also reviewed our existing plastic shells and found opportunities to use the same recycled plastic in more products. At the same time, through our participation in a circular project run by Chalmers, we have had the opportunity to explore together with other players in the industry how we can work more with remanufacturing and extend the life of furniture. It’s been very rewarding to meet different perspectives, challenge our own thoughts and also look at our own business models with new eyes. Now I think it will be exciting to take what we have learned and continue to develop our sustainability work at Materia.
Ina chair.
What would you like more people to know about sustainability in our industry?
That sustainability is rarely as simple as choosing one material over another. A sustainable piece of furniture needs to be thought through on a number of levels. It must be safe, of good quality, long-lasting, easy to maintain and easily repaired or dismantled. Sustainability is rarely black or white. There isn’t always one material or one solution that’s best from all perspectives. Sometimes you need to weigh climate impact against factors such as quality, service life, function, recycling options and cost. This makes sustainability work complex, but also very interesting. For me, it’s very much about trying to understand the bigger picture and making decisions that are as well-considered as possible.
What inspires and motivates you in your work?
What motivates me most is the feeling of actually being able to have an influence and do things better. I like it when sustainability goes from being fine words in a document to something concrete that we can actually see in our products, processes and ways of working. I also get a lot of inspiration from learning new things. The field of sustainability is constantly evolving, and there are always new materials, requirements, opportunities and perspectives to learn about. This makes the work both challenging and a lot of fun. And perhaps most of all, I find it inspiring when I see that more people in the organisation are starting to think of sustainability as a natural part of their own work.
And finally, what small change can we all make to contribute to a more sustainable future?
I think a good start is to stop and ask yourself: Do I really need to buy this? And if the answer is yes, can I choose something of good quality that I like and that will last a long time? This actually applies to everything from furniture and clothing to everyday gadgets. I also believe a lot in looking after what you already have. When you get tired of a gadget or garment, or simply don’t need it any more, you can think again before throwing it away. Maybe someone else could benefit from it? Reselling, donating or giving away things you no longer need is an easy way to give things a longer life.
