Certificate as confirmation for sustainable good work

As confirmation of our sustainably good work, we have received the "European Level" sustainability certificate from the umbrella organisation of the European office furniture industry (FEMB). The award is not only an incentive for further efforts, but also a sign of quality for our customers. The FEMB certificate is the first comprehensive European standard that is also recognised outside the European Economic Area. The products themselves, their production as well as the organizational framework are evaluated. The award confirms that we act in a particularly sustainable manner in all four areas of activity "Materials", "Energy and Atmosphere", "Human and Environmental Health" and "Social Responsibility" and that we are on the right track with our integrated sustainability strategy.

Voluntary proof of sustainability in manufacturing

As early as 2010, the FEMB had decided to develop a European sustainability standard in order to create comparable criteria for the production of office and contract furniture. Since August 2018, manufacturers have been able to have their products certified on the basis of the standard developed by the German Accreditation Body GmbH (DAkkS). The test must be carried out by an independent body. For us, this role has been taken over by TÜV Rheinland. The "European Level" certificate covers a total of twelve fields of requirements. The certification is based on how many points are ultimately achieved in the various requirement areas in total. If the mandatory criteria are not met and not enough points can be collected, there is no certification. However, ASSMANN was able to score points in all areas.

Sustainable in many aspects

For example, we checked what qualified information we can provide on how much energy is used in the production and transport of our office furniture systems and furnishing solutions. In addition, the FEMB also examined the health protection of colleagues working in production, in addition to environmental protection.

The award of the Level sustainability certificate is in line with our numerous awards in the field of sustainability. We were currently among the top 3 in the German Sustainability Award in the category of medium-sized companies. With five categories and more than 800 applicants, the competition is the leader in Europe. In 2018, we were also able to reach the top 10 of the Econ Award. In a complex evaluation process, our sustainability report was placed in the top 10 sustainability reports submitted by small and medium-sized companies in a ranking by the Institute for Ecological Economy Research (IÖW) and the business association "future". Based on our report, we also issued the declaration of the German Sustainability Code (DNK). The feedback from these external reviews is extremely important for us. This is because it repeatedly provides us with starting points for making processes even more sustainable in the future.