Sustainability is about solidarity and concern for future generations - in addition to all those living today. We only have one planet, with a limited amount of resources, and it is in our collective interest to take care of it. The term sustainability has been used more and more in the last 10 years. However, thinking sustainably is nothing new. Already at the start of Helland's Lenestolfabrikk in 1947, the idea of ​​founder Johan Helland was to produce fine furniture of high product quality that would last a long time. When Helland switched to producing furniture for the public market at the end of the 70s, the need to produce strong and durable furniture became even more relevant. Environmentally friendly components and materials are not enough For us, it is about more than components and materials that are not harmful to the environment. The furniture must last for many decades without breaking. In Europe alone, 10 million tonnes of furniture are thrown away every year and it goes without saying that such a use-and-throw mentality is not sustainable. That is why it is possible to buy removable and washable covers for large parts of our collection. This makes it easy to clean the furniture, but it also makes it possible to enjoy the furniture with new textiles - instead of buying a completely new piece of furniture. In addition, several individual parts of our furniture can be replaced if something should be damaged. Sustainability permeates the organization from top management to production Already in 2002, Helland Møbler AS was certified according to the ISO-14001 standard. This standard is an environmental management system which we have integrated with other management requirements in the company and which has contributed to the organization achieving both environmental and financial goals. This certification obliges us to work continuously on improvement according to this standard. We are checked by an annual monitoring audit during the certification period and after three years we must be certified again. ISO 14001 enables us to develop and implement policies and objectives that take into account statutory requirements and information on significant environmental aspects. Every year, new targets are set for environmental improvements - both in terms of product, waste, working environment and social conditions. Having worked with this for almost 20 years, sustainability is something that permeates the organization from top management to production. When it comes to production, we in Helland have high requirements for material quality as well as for a flawless finish of the products we produce. Without such standards, we would not have been satisfied with what we deliver. All the wood that Helland uses in its furniture is certified material (FSC) that can be traced to forests where operations are sustainable and where social, economic and environmental requirements are met. As a supplier of furniture to the healthcare sector, in 2019 Helland Møbler AS was the first in Scandinavia to be awarded the SWAN LABEL for a large part of the collection. When a product or service has received the Nordic Ecolabel, it has passed the objective assessment by the Ecolabelling Agency of how environmentally friendly the product is. The entire life cycle of a product is considered. From raw material - to production - via use - to waste management.