TIP Muebles – sustainable furniture for home, office and schools
The Forest and Agricultural Community and Services Unit (UCFAS), located in Oaxaca, manages a vertically integrated operation consisting of harvest, sawmilling, and its own furniture manufacturing plant and retail stores, TIP Muebles, which are available in Oaxaca. Under a perspective of life cycle management, they have been certified for responsible forest management by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). They have also performed life cycle assessments in order to improve the design of their products and have sound environmental information that can be provided to different customers, for example the Public Green Purchasing programs. With LCM they are able to:
- Improve process efficiency and select materials which have been reflected in economic benefits,
- Improve resource use by collaborative ecodesign,
- Increase value in the supply chain and in the community by knowing that their activities are thought to minimize environmental impacts,
- Establish an active partnership with local communities in each manufacturing activity of the wooden furniture and conduct capacity building activities regarding technical skills and knowhow to improve the environmental conditions of the communities,
- Expand accessibility to different markets, not only the Public Green Purchasing programs, and
- Increase in recognition since the initiative has been a finalist in the first “Iniciativa México Program 2010” which aims at identifying and recognizing projects and ideas with real social impact and with a strong commitment to a better future.
TIP Muebles has integrated LCT in their strategic planning and also in daily business. They aim to keep moving in the Mexican market for a more informed consumer and if possible a furniture certification scheme that would allow more opportunities in Green Purchasing Programs.
Feel free to have a look at our Greening the Economy Through Life Cycle Thinking report where you can find out more about LCA cases.
