ChairSolutions

ChairSolutions has been proudly GECA certified for nearly two decades. We spoke to them about their sustainability challenges and opportunities, and why they chose to become GECA certified.

What are some of your company's key sustainability priorities?

Sustainability has been a core focus for ChairSolutions since 2008 and guides how we design, manufacture, and manage our products throughout their lifecycle. Our priorities are centred around creating durable, high-quality furniture, sourcing materials responsibly, supporting local manufacturing, reducing waste, and advancing circular economy outcomes.

We design products to last, backed by recognised certifications such as GECA, while continually improving the materials and processes we use. This includes incorporating recycled content, reducing packaging, and minimising environmental impacts across our supply chain.

A major focus for us is end-of-life stewardship. Through our cradle-to-grave recycling approach, we actively recover and recycle materials from our products, including foam, steel, aluminium and plastics, helping to divert valuable resources from landfill and support a more circular furniture industry.

We also recognise that sustainability extends beyond environmental outcomes. Supporting our people, strengthening communities and creating opportunities through initiatives such as our partnership with YINDI are important parts of our broader sustainability commitment. Looking ahead, we continue to invest in product innovation that improves durability, repairability and recyclability, helping customers access furniture that performs well and remains in use for longer.

Why did you choose GECA certification? And how vital is independent certification to you and your customers?

We chose GECA certification because it provides a trusted, independent environmental benchmark for our products.

Independent certification is vital, especially for larger commercial and government projects where customers require recognised strength, durability and environmental certifications such as AFRDI, BIFMA, Green Star and GECA.

GECA has also helped guide improvements in our manufacturing processes, including the adoption of water-based glues, water-based plywood, and alternative chemical inputs for our locally made foams.

What do you think are the biggest sustainability challenges and opportunities for your industry right now?

One of the biggest sustainability challenges in our industry is keeping manufacturing onshore. Many businesses are choosing to manufacture overseas, which can increase transport distances, reduce visibility over supply chains, and make end-of-life recovery more difficult.

For ChairSolutions, local manufacturing is both a challenge and an opportunity. By manufacturing locally across our Australian and New Zealand operations, we can reduce the transport of bulky finished goods, support local employment, improve supply chain transparency, and maintain greater control over product quality, durability and recyclability.

Another major opportunity is designing furniture with the end of life in mind. The industry is moving beyond simply asking whether a product is recyclable, and towards asking whether there is a genuine plan to recover, disassemble and recycle that product at the end of its working life.

This is where we see real opportunity: longer-lasting products, stronger warranties, healthier materials, easier reupholstery, and practical recycling pathways that keep valuable materials out of landfill.

Is there anything else you want to share about your GECA certified products or services?

We have found GECA to be a very stringent and serious certification program that sets a high standard and benchmark for environmental certification.

That high level of scrutiny is one of the reasons we value being a GECA licensee. In our view, this is also why many of our competitors choose less stringent options, such as self-proclaimed green certifications, rather than pursuing GECA certification.