The choice of sustainability

Steel and aluminum are metals with astounding properties: they are extraordinarily strong, fireproof and they can be recycled almost infinitely. Steel is today’s most recycled material on earth: 80 to 90% of all steel currently used in Europe is estimated to have been recycled at least once (for aluminum, this share is estimated at around 50%). The recycling of steel and aluminum produces substantial energy savings of about 75% and 95% respectively compared to the production of virgin metal.

Using steel and aluminum as the main materials of our furniture is a guarantee of quality and longevity and ensure that our products are easy-to-recycle when the times come.

Our wood is sourced exclusively from sustainably managed European forests granted with FSC or PEFC labels (certification : PEFC/07-31-60). These labels guarantee the compliance with sustainable forest management standards that provide for steady forest regeneration (natural or through planting) while favoring the diversity of wood types and preserving the balance of local ecosystems.

Wood is a fantastic material that has been used in furniture making for centuries. Its aesthetic, ecological and manufacturing properties make wood an essential material in the making of furniture.

Since 2019, we have been using reclaimed wood sourced from destroyed European buildings such as barns or old warehouses. Once it has been recovered, this wood is reworked so it can be reused as shelves or tables. At TIPTOE, we cherish the idea of giving waste a second life.

Each piece of furniture is unique: rustic wood, irregularities, knots, slight cracks, marks of old nails with colour variations.

Since the middle of the 20th century, plastic has played a central role in global industrial manufacturing. Abundant, useful and inexpensive, plastic is also known for polluting the earth and the oceans over the very long-term.

What should we do with all this plastic waste? Our approach to furniture making is very much centered around circularity. As a consequence, we’re constantly working on the development and the further use of upcycled materials such as recycled plastic in our products. Our ambition is to prove that waste can be turned into something beautiful, useful and durable.

Today, the supply of recycled fabrics is very scarce, but we did not want to skip this requirement: the origin and quality of the raw material are paramount for us. To meet our durability requirements, we have chosen our recycled fabric from the prestigious Danish company Gabriel, recognized for its know-how and the quality of its fabrics since 1851.

They are made from 75% or 98% recycled polyester depending on the colors. The fabrics are machine washable and also 100% recyclable at the end of their life.

The fabrics have excellent abrasion resistance and one of the best fire resistance profiles on the market with 10 different certifications. The fabrics are certified STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® and EU Ecolabel, so they are non-toxic for the skin, health and the environment.

For the EASY sofa, we have chosen recycled foam flakes for the backs of this sofa. It comes from scraps of foam used for the seat of the sofa. They are then crushed into flakes and inserted into the cushions for incomparable softness and comfort.

Recycled foam flakes are used to fill the cushions and armrests of our sofa.