What is Sustainability?
Sustainability is not only one thing; it can include minimizing plastic use in packaging, as well as products labeled with the Nordic Swan Ecolabel, among many other things. It depends on what you see as sustainability. However, navigating the many purchasing options when decorating a table to fit your company's strategy can be challenging. Therefore, here are a few tips on what you can keep an eye out for.
Let Labels and Certifications Guide the Way
When looking for tableware that fits your company’s strategy, internationally recognized third-party labels and certificates are an excellent place to start.
Look for the Nordic Swan Ecolabel
The Nordic Swan Ecolabel certification can be found on many products in many different categories, including disposable napkins and paper tablecloths.
This Ecolabel has strict requirements for ingredients, unwanted chemicals, and materials in its approved products, as the products that carry The Nordic Swan Ecolabel promote:
- The conservation of biodiversity
- Reduced climate impact
- Resource efficiency
If these principles match your company's strategy, Nordic Swan Ecolabeled products might be your perfect tableware choice.
Nordic Swan Ecolabel
Find the FSCTM (Forest Stewardship Council) Certificate
FSC is an international ecolabeling organization that deals with tree and forest products. To obtain the FSCTM (Forest Stewardship Council) certification, the product has to fulfill strict requirements, including:
- The product is made from materials from protected and sustainable forests, where only the volume which can be produced is harvested. By doing so, the number of forests is maintained.
- The people working in the forests do so with proper working conditions in correlation to safety and economy.
Do you find that these standards align with your company’s strategy? Look for the FSCTM certificate when purchasing tableware for your hotel, inn, restaurant, or similar establishment.
Disposable tableware – alternatives to traditional plastic
If you work in a business where using single-use tableware is an advantage or necessity, you don’t have to worry – you can easily find and choose eco-friendly single-use products. Traditionally, single-use tableware has been associated with plastic, which has experienced a bad reputation in recent years.
However, the market for single-use tableware has gone through huge developments in recent years, giving the market plenty of new, green opportunities. Products made from palm leaves, sugar cane bagasse and PLA are some of the new alternatives to traditional plastic, just as eco-labeling and certificates make it easier to navigate the market of sustainable choices.
Our Material guides can help you examine which materials fit your needs