ASSMANN Office Furniture receives sustainability certificate

Based in Melle, Germany, the office furniture manufacturer ASSMANN has received the “European Level” sustainability certificate from the European Federation of Office Furniture (FEMB) umbrella organisation. “The FEMB certificate shows wonderful recognition of our sustainable work, not only for us, but also as a quality feature for our customers. That is why we are also regarding this distinction as an incentive to progress further in the field of sustainability in the future,” says Dirk Assmann, Managing Director of ASSMANN.

The still young FEMB certificate is the first comprehensive European standard that is also recognised outside of the European Economic Area. The products themselves, their assembly and the organisational framework conditions are assessed. The distinction proves to the family company that all four areas (“materials”, “energy and atmosphere”, “personal and environmental health” and “social responsibility”) are handled especially sustainably.

Voluntary proof of sustainability in production

As early as 2010, the FEMB decided to develop a European sustainability standard to create comparable criteria for the production of office and commercial furniture. Since August 2018, manufacturers have been able to have their products certified based on the German Accreditation Authority’s (Deutsche Akkreditierungsstelle GmbH, DAkkS)accredited standards. The inspection must be carried out by an independent body. TÜV Rheinland took on this roll for ASSMANN. 

The “European Level” certificate can be voluntarily obtained by a company and comprises of twelve pieces of criteria in total where certification points can and must be obtained. Certification depends on how many points are obtained in total. If not enough points have been awarded or the compulsory criteria are not met, the company will not receive certification. ASSMANN earned points in all areas. For example, a company’s ability to produce qualified information on how much energy is used in the production and transport of its products is assessed. In addition to environmental protection, health protection for production employees is also evaluated.  

The awarding of the FEMB sustainability certificate is one of ASSMANN’s many distinctions in the field of sustainability. As a result, our latest sustainability report was ranked in the top 10 for small and medium-sized enterprises in the Institute for Ecological Economy Research’s (IÖW) and the trade association future’sranking of sustainability reports following a complex evaluation process. Based on this report, ASSMANN also made a declaration a few weeks ago to follow the German Sustainability Code (DNK). The feedback from external audits provides the medium-sized company with important starting points for making processes more sustainable.