AUSTRALASIAN FURNISHING RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE (AFRDI)

The Australasian Furnishing Research and Development Institute is an independent not-for-profit technical organisation providing standards, testing, product certification and research for buyers and sellers of furniture. The purpose of testing and certification is to ensure that products are not only safe, but that they will last, thus contributing to sustainability, and minimising use of the earth’s resources. While most of the work centres on establishing standards for industry, it is likely that in future the organisation will develop more consumer-focused standards. Sustainability is a broad concept, but in the context of furniture manufacturing it includes the ethical sourcing of raw materials, responsible use of water and energy, waste minimization and, through better furniture design, the efficient use of raw materials – by extending a product’s working life and its recyclability. AFRDI enthusiastically embraces the concept of sustainability through the creation of their furniture sustainability standard, the implementation of in-house policies and practices that mitigate their own environmental impacts.

To Them, sustainable practices are fundamental to the future of the industry, and to the environment.