TUTTO'S SUSTAINABILITY CONCEPT

The logistics department of a medium-sized furniture retailer generates approximately 160 tonnes of wood waste annually, primarily from disposable pallets. This waste is typically disposed of—either incinerated or downcycled into lower-grade products such as chipboard. Both options contribute to the waste of resources and environmental pollution. tutto is committed to a consistent recycling strategy in which waste is viewed as a valuable resource that demands more innovative solutions than the conventional take-make-waste model.

Incineration
Direct thermal utilisation or downstream combustion in the form of fuel such as wood briquettes. As a fuel, wood is demonstrably not climate-friendly and has a comparatively low calorific value: Fine dust and greenhouse gases are produced, whilst the bound carbon is released into the atmosphere as CO₂.

End-of-life chipboard
Binding agents containing formaldehyde or phenol are often used in the production of chipboard. Their emissions are subject to strict EU limits, which are intended to prevent the use of quantities that are harmful to health. The chipboard manufacturing process is energy-intensive and poses environmental challenges. Although modern adhesives are often less harmful, the production process remains controversial due to the chemicals used and the environmental impact.

Chipboard waste is not biodegradable, which complicates disposal. At the end of the chipboard's short life cycle, it is usually incinerated. The carbon bound in the wood and the adhesives are released during incineration.

Trees absorb CO₂ from the atmosphere through photosynthesis and store it as carbon. Even after felling, this remains bound in the wood as long as the material is not burnt or decomposed. The longer wood is preserved as a raw material, the longer it contributes to reducing the CO₂ concentration in the atmosphere. tutto actively contributes to CO₂ sequestration:

• To produce a stool, two disposable pallets are prepared and further processed.

• Wood binds carbon with an average storage capacity of 50%. The exact amount of carbon in wood-based products depends on the type of wood and the manufacturing process. We have used a C factor of 0.408 calculated by the Thünen Institute to calculate the carbon storage of a disposable pallet.

• A disposable pallet weighing 20 kg (average weight excluding nails and press blocks) therefore contains 8.16 kg of carbon.

→ Approx. 16 kg of CO₂ are stored per stool.

By reusing the wood instead of disposing of it or downcycling it, tutto extends the carbon storage cycle and thus makes a direct contribution to climate protection.

tutto aims to keep materials in the recycling loop for as long as possible. The sustainability concept is based on the R-strategies of the circular economy, which aim to use resources efficiently and minimise waste. These strategies form a hierarchical model for resource conservation, ranging from the highest priority – avoidance (Refuse, Rethink, Reduce) – to reuse and remanufacture (Reuse, Repair, Refurbish, Remanufacture, Repurpose) and the final step, recycling (Potting et al., 2017, Circular Economy: Measuring innovation in the product chain). The goal is to close material cycles and dramatically cut the consumption of primary resources and waste.

• Remanufacturing:

We use disposable pallet wood that would otherwise be discarded.

• Reuse & Refurbish:

The material is refurbished and crafted into high-quality pieces of furniture.

• Reduce:

Thanks to a well-thought-out design, waste is reduced to a minimum.

• Recycle:

When a piece of tutto furniture has served its time, its wood remains as a raw material.

80% of a product’s environmental impact is determined by its design. In concrete terms, this means that anything not designed to be sustainable from the outset cannot be fundamentally changed later on. As design decisions such as materials, construction, processing steps and production routes determine use, reparability and recycling, we at tutto have already ensured that future environmental impacts are minimised during the design phase. Sustainable design can significantly reduce a product’s carbon footprint. Longevity is also a key aspect of our furniture:

• The sturdy construction is designed to last for several generations.

• tutto furniture can be repaired and therefore conserves resources.

• The furniture is manufactured exclusively using wood glue as a composite material. Even if you no longer like a piece of tutto furniture at some point, its wood can still be used as a raw material for new wooden objects thanks to the sustainable processing.

Our furniture is manufactured within a local production network:

• All production partners are located within 100 km of each other in the Palatinate.
• The main workshop in Pirmasens is only 52 km away from the raw materials warehouse, which minimises transport emissions.
• Inclusive working: Production takes place in workshops that employ people with physical and mental disabilities as well as the long-term unemployed, thereby contributing to social sustainability.

tutto measures and communicates the environmental impact of its products throughout their entire life cycle. In doing so, we take into account the emissions generated in production, logistics and packaging, as well as CO₂ storage through the use of wood. At the same time, we continuously analyse optimisation potential in order to make our processes even more sustainable. The total emissions of the furniture range can be viewed transparently in the tutto shop and form the basis for the continuous development of our sustainability strategy.

tutto pursues a holistic approach to sustainability that extends the lifespan of materials, reduces waste and emissions and favours local, inclusive production. However, sustainability is not a status, but a continuous process. We measure ourselves against our own goals, scrutinise existing solutions and constantly work on improvements. tutto shows that the circular economy is not just an idea, but can be implemented in practice – with positive effects for the environment, the economy and us as a society.