Environmental Policy
Our approach
As an environmentally conscious company, we are constantly working to find better ways to conserve resources and protect the environment within our business operations. At Robert Kime, our approach to sustainability focuses on:
· Ensuring an efficient use of natural resources throughout our supply chain;
· Making products that stand the test of time and that do not need to be replaced often; and
· Reducing negative impacts on the natural resources we use to make our products.
How we make our products
We are committed to sourcing and making our products responsibly and we work closely with our suppliers to make sure they respect human rights, engage in reputable working conditions and work with us to improve sustainability practices across our supply base. We require our contracted suppliers to sign up to our supplier code of conduct, and this forms part of our standard contracting process. Our supplier code of conduct is updated regularly in accordance with sustainability best practice and regulation. This code of conduct sets out the ethical standards that we hold ourselves to, and that we expect our suppliers to continually meet in order to work with us.
At Robert Kime, we have regular open talks with our suppliers regarding their sustainability practices and ongoing regulatory compliance. We will work with suppliers to take remedial action in relation to their practices where they fall short of what is required and may choose not to work with a supplier where we consider that their approach to sustainability cannot be remedied, or if it breaches sustainability regulations.
The long-lasting impact
A core value at Robert Kime is to make high-quality products with a long-life span. We will endeavour to restore items, rather than replacing and disposing of them. We will use reasonable endeavours to offer repair services on all of our products (where possible), including for antiques and reproduction furniture. Our new products are intentionally designed and made to last in order to be passed on to the next generation. Whether restoring or producing products we use traditional techniques, making use of natural materials. For instance, our craftsmen use hand tools to build up each layer of our upholstered pieces, using horsehair, jute and sisal instead of environmentally damaging polyurethane foam.
Our business operations
We are conscious of our carbon footprint at Robert Kime and take pride in the fact that many of our products are made within the UK. We work with all of our production partners to recycle as much as possible and to minimise the usage of electricity and other fuels within the production process.
We use packaging to protect our products through their journey to the end client. Choosing the right materials is crucial so that products are not damaged and will arrive safely at their destination in perfect condition. Our aim is to choose the most sustainable packaging solutions we can find for our products. We use eco-friendly loose fill chips for packaging. They are 100% biodegradable and made from GM-free starch. The chips are also suitable for both domestic and municipal composting. To minimise plastic use, when transporting our furniture in the UK, we use our own 100% cotton, reusable protection furniture covers. We also request that, where possible, our suppliers deliver their products to us using recycled and recyclable packaging.
We will always try to recycle boxes where possible on incoming and outgoing goods, and we recycle incoming packaging where it cannot be used again. We shred paper to be used for packaging wherever suitable. Our aim is to work within a sustainable production and consumption model, offering our customers the products and services that they have come to expect, while respecting natural resources and the need to protect and sustain them. We are committed to improving our understanding of the direct and indirect impacts our work has on natural resources, as well as our dependence on them. In summary, we are committed to promoting a more environmentally conscious and sustainable production model.