Symphony Group offers sustainable kitchen solutions to help eliminate plastic waste

Dec 05, 2023

Symphony Group, one of the UK's largest privately owned manufacturers of fitted furniture, has reaffirmed its commitment to sustainability with a number of initiatives to mark World Environment Day.

The aim of World Environment Day is for governments, consumers and companies across the globe to join together to beat plastic pollution and to transition to a circular economy.

Symphony Group's current sustainability initiatives include:

George Burtoft, sustainability analyst at Symphony Group, said: "We have always taken our responsibilities to the environment seriously and are committed to playing our part by learning, innovating and implementing sustainable actions to limit our impact on the planet."

Symphony Group, which manufactures kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms, uses only FSC® certified timber sourced from responsibly managed forests. It also includes recycled content wherever possible with cabinet chipboard made from 57% recycled materials, door and drawer fronts in options of 100%, 90% and 50% recycled content and foils made from 70% recycled PET (used plastic bottles) on several ranges. The 100% recycled MFC collection includes six door finishes in for contemporary or classic schemes.

The manufacturing methods used by Symphony also allow products to be ‘Repaired, Not Replaced’, saving damaged cabinets from being sent to landfill. And for retailers that are updating a showroom, Symphony is also a partner with The Used Kitchen Company, which will extend the life of an ex-display kitchen by finding it a new home, and encourages consumers to do the same.

Symphony Group has also reduced emissions over previous years by 45.55% per £1million turnover and aims to ensure that 75% of its car fleet is plug-in hybrid electric vehicles with the inclusion of fully electric vehicles by the end of 2025.

Other initiatives include the implementation of green electricity and gas tariffs for its headquarters and manufacturing sites by the end of 2025 and the reduction of paper in its literature. Symphony Group achieved their 2022 target of reducing literature production by 10%, with an actual reduction of 15.46%.

Symphony Group has also committed to 0% of manufacturing waste being sent to landfill. Where possible, unnecessary waste is eliminated and anything else is recycled. Any excess chipboard shavings are taken away by Platts Agriculture and used as cow bedding.

In 2022, Symphony become a gold member of The Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, a local charity that conserves wild places in the community, and Symphony continued its support by renewing its membership for 2023.