Author Nicola Wiley
Published May 14, 2021
Filed to

This year, we celebrate our 50th anniversary, and it is with this half-century milestone that we look towards the future and in particular our commitment to sustainability. As one of the UK’s largest manufacturers of fitted kitchen, bedroom and bathroom furniture with over 1800 employees, we take our responsibility to the environment very seriously, which is why we think it is important to discuss Symphony’s Sustainability plans.

Download our Sustainability Statement

We are always learning, always innovating and always wanting to do more in terms of making our products and production process as environmentally friendly as possible. Alongside the four ranges (Urban Grey Walnut, Urban Concrete, Hacienda Platinum and Light Driftwood) that feature 100% recycled frontals, we are also working constantly to reduce our environmental impact by sourcing and incorporating recycled materials wherever possible. So much so that 49% of the chipboard used in our entire kitchen, bedroom and bathroom cabinet collections is sourced from recycled timber while all adjustable cabinet legs are made from 100% recycled plastic.

three images showing Symphony's Sustainability kitchen collection, one showing a tall unit run in a light wood effect, one in a concrete effect with an island and one in a darker wood effect

 

In recent years, we have reduced carbon emissions in our manufacturing processes, at our head office and within our transport operations as well as working to minimise the impact of our packaging by teaming up with recycled packaging organisation Valpak. Additional initiatives include using 100% FSC® certified (licence FSC-C008501) Timber, supplying the energy to our head office and manufacturing site with an eco-friendly biomass boiler and harnessing a fuel-efficient fleet of vehicles for deliveries and transportation. In addition, Symphony has set a target of 100% Green Energy by the end of 2025. We have included details on our eco credentials below which outline any statistics related to the points mentioned in this article.

a row of red symphony lorries at the Barnsley manufacturing 

 

Most recently, we are proud to have started a partnership with The Used Kitchen Company to help promote recycling and extend the life of old kitchens by finding them new homes. We encourage our network of retailers to sell old displays through The Used Kitchen Company when they come to update their showrooms. Similarly, customers are also encouraged to sell their old kitchen to someone who can make further use of it. Those retailers who take part often receive certificates and awards, demonstrating their commitment to recycling and sustainability, which is a great way to incentivise this initiative and ensure it benefits not just the environment, but everyone involved, too. This partnership provides an additional opportunity to support Symphony’s Sustainability goals.

 

The Symphony Group’s eco credentials can be seen in the following stats:

 

CARBON EMISSIONS

  • Carbon emissions per £m turnover has reduced 27% in 3 years (Carbon Emissions v Turnover Ratio, reference data from 2017-2019).

 

BIOMASS BOILER

  • The Group’s Biomass Boiler saved 1762 tCO2 (total carbon dioxide) in 2019 – the equivalent of taking 381 cars off the road for 1 year or the annual energy use of 203 homes.

 

WASTE

  • No waste is sent to landfill from our manufacturing process, whilst only 1.5% of the total waste from our operations goes to landfill, with the vast majority being recycled.
  • Symphony also protect its cabinets during transit with blankets in place of cardboard and plastic packaging. Once cabinets are safely delivered the blankets are returned and reused for future deliveries.

 

PRODUCTS

  • 49% of cabinet chipboard is from recycled material.
  • Four of its ranges are made from 100% recycled materials – Urban Grey Walnut, Urban Concrete, Hacienda Grey and Light Driftwood.
  • 100% of all its timber-based materials are FSC® certified.
  • Water based paints have replaced the use of solvent based paints for all ‘paint to order’ ranges.
  • Plastic cabinet legs are made from 100% recycled plastic.
  • All cardboard boxes that Symphony Group purchases are made from 100% recycled materials.
  • Plastic corner protectors for individual frontals have been replaced with recycled pulp protectors, eliminating the use of around four million plastic versions per year.

For more information on Symphony’s Sustainability focus, you can download our newest literature.