out-sider launches the Nordic region’s first ecolabelled outdoor furniture in recycled plastic

Furniture for the city, schools and housing associations will now be made from recycled plastic. out-sider is launching a wide range of products, all certified to the official Nordic Swan Ecolabel. This means we can now enjoy the public space with a clear conscience when we’re playing at the playground or meeting on a bench in the courtyard – at least we can if it’s on one of out-sider’s many pieces of furniture.

out-sider’s new furniture line has been created with consideration for nature and the climate. All the materials are sustainable as they are made from recycled materials and can be recycled again. This means that they meet UN Sustainable Development Goal no. 12: Responsible consumption and production.

“Environmentally sound materials in toys, food and clothing have long been a thing. Furniture and outdoor play areas, however, have been neglected, but for us it has been a natural progression to aim for the same high standards in our products,” says Ib Mogensen, Managing Director of out-sider. He continues: “We believe it’s important to start with ourselves. Rather than taking CSR initiatives, which look good on the website, we’ve made our core product one hundred per cent sustainable. And of course it doesn’t hurt that the furniture looks great too.”

Nordic Ecolabelling Denmark shares its enthusiasm for the new product line from out-sider:
“It’s good news that out-sider has decided to certify a number of their outdoor furniture to the Nordic Swan Ecolabel. Their products have an exciting function in being both furniture and play equipment, and they also have a fascinating history of production using exclusively recycled plastic,” says Martin Fabiansen, Director of Ecolabelling Denmark.

The ecolabelled furniture is made from 100% recycled polyethylene plastic, of which 85% comes from internal waste and production surplus. This means that any faulty products, start-up residues and old products are reused for new production. The other 15% comes from polythene bags, which are ground down and melted into other materials, resulting in an explosion of colour.

The future is built on sustainable solutions
The new range of Nordic Swan Ecolabelled products underlines out-sider’s desire to contribute to sustainable development.

“We all have a responsibility to make the world a more sustainable place. With the new 100% recycled products, we’re taking our share of that responsibility and creating more sustainable development. For us it makes good sense to start here, and we obviously hope that the rest of the industry will follow suit,” says Ib Mogensen.

It makes a lot of sense to prepare products for a future that focuses more on sustainability. This shift in focus will also bring about a change in demand as the years go by. According to Ecolabel Denmark, several public sector buyers are demanding ecolabelling in their procurement tenders – and several have policies for ecolabelled procurement.

“Many municipalities are requesting ecolabelled products to a greater extent, while we’re also noticing a rising interest in ecolabelled construction projects,” says Martin Fabiansen, adding: “That’s also why I think out-sider will really benefit from having ecolabelled outdoor furniture in its range when outdoor areas are built for day-care centres, housing associations and city parks, for example.”

Facts
The Nordic Swan Ecolabel now appears on all of out-sider’s products in the Loop family: Loop, Loop Arc, Loop Cone, Loop Corner, Loop Line and Loop Up, as well as HopOp and HopOp500.