Understanding the Carbon Cycle and Why it Matters
Making sustainable contract furniture out of responsibly sourced materials is a great thing. Even better: investing in sharing with the design community why it matters.
Just ask OFS. The company has earned accolades for its mindful approach to producing office and healthcare furniture that’s well designed, durable, easy to clean and maintain, and engineered with recycling and disassembly in mind.
These are tangible qualities that conscientious specifiers weigh when making their project choices. The related environmental impacts are less obvious, which is why OFS says ongoing industry education on the true meaning of “sustainability” is important to their brand.
With this in mind, the company recently commissioned a CEU focused on the impacts of the carbon cycle on climate change: “Climate Positive Materials and Sustainable Interiors.” It debuted last year as a webinar with more than 400 participants.
As a CEU, it’s unique in that it spends very little time on OFS’s end products. The idea was to provide some context for the impacts of the materials the company uses, zeroing in on one in particular—wood. OFS uses a lot of wood, both engineered and solid, all from certified sources.
Using sustainably harvested wood is one of the most effective strategies for reducing the outsized carbon footprint of the building and construction sector, which accounts for 40% of all global CO2 emissions.
“Carbon footprint is one of the only ways we can truly measure and compare environmental impacts of different materials and products,” said Ali Oxley, senior director of sales success. “For us, the narrative of carbon reduction is intertwined with our love of wood, respect for nature, and dedication to quality craftsmanship.”
As someone who’s in front of OFS’s customers every day, Oxley was instrumental in setting the scope of the carbon cycle CEU. She’d be delivering it, and she knew what it needed to accomplish.
“Our holistic approach, from supporting responsible forestry to minimizing waste and emissions in manufacturing, not only reduces our carbon footprint but also resonates with customers who value environmental responsibility and want to better understand the tangible impacts of their choices,” Oxley explained.
“One aspect of the carbon story that resonates with us is the use of wood to lower the overall carbon footprint of our products. At OFS, wood products have historically been our livelihood,” she continued. “Our founders were woodworkers first, true craftsmen. Wood is where we come from. It’s also our future, if our goal is to lower carbon emissions and combat climate change.”
Carbon Cycle Fun Facts
The CEU is full of little-known facts about climate change, the carbon cycle, and sustainable forestry. For instance:
- Feedback loops caused by the disruptions in the natural carbon cycle accelerate climate change. For instance, warmer temperatures resulting from the buildup of atmospheric greenhouse gases like CO2 and methane melt arctic permafrost and long-frozen bogs, releasing into the atmosphere more CO2 and methane that had been trapped there for thousands of years, warming the climate even further.
- There’s a fixed amount of carbon in the universe. It makes up only about 0.025% of the Earth’s crust, in the oceans, rocks, and sediment.
- Carbon is considered the “backbone of all life on Earth.” It accounts for 18% of humans’ body weight. A 150-lb. person is carrying around 27 lbs. of carbon.
- The carbon footprint of 1 cubic meter of aluminum is over 28,000 kg of CO2e [equivalent]. This is over 10 times the weight of the material itself.
- The carbon footprint of the same volume of engineered wood, like the particleboard used by OFS, is negative 1,020 kg of CO2e. (Source: https://www.materialepyramiden.dk/)
- Wood is 50% naturally captured carbon by weight.
- Even after converting forest fiber into furniture, most wood products store more carbon than what was released. This is why wood products are considered carbon negative, or climate positive.
- This sequestered carbon isn’t released until that wood rots or burns, meaning that wood-based products are actually long-term carbon sinks.
- The forests where OFS sources much of their wood don’t require replanting. Forest managers point out that there are often about five seedlings already growing at the time of harvest, but they need an open canopy to grow strong and healthy.
“There are things that, honestly, most people in our industry just don’t know,” Oxley said. “Sharing our research in this CEU enables designers to effectively communicate the benefits of sustainable choices to their clients and corporate leaders. We all need to be on the same page, in terms of understanding our challenges and communicating the best possible solutions.
“Designers and architects have a huge responsibility. Making choices that reduce our negative impacts on the environment, yes, but they also play a key role in educating their clients. We’re here to give them the tools they need to do that as effectively as possible,” she noted.
