FSC announces winners of the 2021 Furniture Awards

30 November 2021


The winners of the FSC Furniture Awards, created by the Forest Stewardship Council to reward FSC-certified companies in the indoor and outdoor furniture sectors, have been announced.

The awards ceremony took place online and the winners in six award categories (Home-living, Home-office, Office furniture, Public spaces furniture, Outdoor furniture for home, Outdoor furniture for public spaces) and five special awards (CSR, Communication, Green, Labeling and Small business) were announced by a jury composed by representatives of FSC national offices from the 11 competing countries (Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Poland, San Marino, Serbia, Slovenia, UK). The only category not assigned was the one for Retail furniture – a special mention was created instead.

The winners are as follows:

  • Home-living: Composad srl, based in Viadana (Italy), won the category awards with Velata bed systems.
  • Home-office: Polish company Melaco Spzoo from Nowa Sól (Poland), specialising in components for furniture design.
  • Office furniture: Hammerbacher GmbH from Neumarkt (Germany), whose furniture for small and large workspaces is all FSC-certified.
  • Public space furniture: Schäfer Trennwandsysteme GmbH, based in Horhausen (Germany), manufactures wooden doors and dividers for public places, changing cubicles and lockers.
  • Outdoor furniture for home: Roda sr. from Gavirate (Italy), with its wooden Orson sun loungers.
  • Outdoor furniture for public spaces: British company Community Products (UK) LTD, based in East Sussex (UK), for its environmentally-friendly outdoor furniture and play equipment for toddlers. This company was also awarded the special Green award for its sustainability policy.
  • Special award for CSR policies: Buoyant Upholstery LTD, based in Lancashire (UK).
  • Special award for communication: Stosa spa (Italy) was recognised for its commitment to promoting FSC values.
  • Special award for the best FSC labeling: Calligaris spa from Udine (Italy) for labeling its iconic design products.
  • Award for small businesses: Cantarutti srl, based in Udine (Italy).
  • Special mention: Era Grupa doo, from Vinkovci (Croatia), for its dedication to the procurement of FSC-certified inputs.

The ceremony event was preceded by a round table on the use of wood from certified sources, which was attended by representatives of FSC International, international NGOs, forest owners, retailers and journalists and moderated by designer and BBC presenter, Oliver Heath.

The first two editions of the awards in 2019 and 2020, which covered only Italy, awarded 20 companies operating in the wood-furniture sector. The first-ever European edition in 2021, follows the positive trend of an increasing number of furniture businesses becoming FSC-certified: as of November 2021, a quarter of over 20,000 companies in FSC-certified European supply chains belong to the indoor or outdoor furniture sectors.

Countries with the highest number of FSC-certified companies producing furniture are Poland (861), UK (746) and Italy (602)[1]. These numbers go hand-in-hand with a growing demand for products of sustainable origin. Indeed, new research conducted by Globescan on behalf of FSC International reports that 84% of consumers expect companies to ensure that the wood/paper products they sell are not contributing to deforestation. This new report (https://fsc.org/en/newsfeed/2021-global-consumer-research-reveals-escalating-concerns-about-climate-change-and-threats) is part of FSC's efforts to understand how forests, people and markets are responding to global changes.

“FSC  works in close collaboration with furniture manufacturers, brands and retailers to help them develop their supply chains, increase awareness about sustainable forestry and its benefits, and communicate their commitment to FSC certification,” said Jeremy Harrison, chief markets officer at FSC International. “The positive results of these collaborations are confirmed in the research findings from Globescan”.

“In the climate change era we must provide viable solutions and positive examples of how forest conservation, communities and markets can co-exist,” said Alexia Schrott, FSC Italy’s marketing manager and co-ordinator of the project. “The FSC Furniture Awards promotes best practices, rewarding the achievements of companies that have decided to share their path towards sustainability with FSC.”


[1] Source: FSC International Database, 2nd November 2021.