Advantages of FF&E Consultancy: Being Green with Pinnacle

Membership with FIRA
Our membership with FIRA (Furniture Industry Research Association) assures clients that our products are safe, legal, fit for purpose, and tested to stringent standards. This affiliation underscores our commitment to quality and sustainability in every piece we produce.

FSC Certification
Many furniture pieces are either partially or entirely made from wood, making the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) a crucial element in FF&E consultancy. We ensure all the MMC (Modern Methods of Construction) modules leaving our factories carry FSC certification, which helps our schools meet the requirements of standards such as BREEAM and, importantly, enables them to identify, purchase, and use other FSC-certified products such as paper on their journey towards sustainability.

BREEAM Compliance
With our extensive design and specification expertise, we can help specify the right FF&E for BREEAM credits. This area is quite complex, particularly for technical Science Laboratories and Design & Technology spaces, which require specialised equipment that meets BREEAM credits but is also suitable on a practical level for educational use.

BREEAM, the world’s oldest method for assessing, rating, and certifying the sustainability, of buildings, aims to enhance the well-being of occupants and reduce reliance on natural resources. One of the key factors in BREEAM is around water usage, calculated using WAT01, where the goal is to reduce potable water consumption in new buildings. To help achieve this, our taps are supplied with flow rate regulators to reduce water usage and increase sustainability.

Sustainable Manufacturing Practices
Sourcing most of our raw materials from the UK helps ensure that our furniture travels a minimal distance, reducing our carbon footprint. Our key furniture manufacturing partners are committed to Service Level Agreements (SLAs), and any organisation we work with must have an established track record in environmental standards, quality, service, delivery reliability, support standards for us, and after-sales and warranty commitments.

Ethical Recycling of Legacy Furniture
We provide ethical and responsible recycling options for unwanted legacy furniture and if still in good condition, we will donate it to one of our partner charitable organisations. We conduct legacy surveys and assessments to identify opportunities for repurposing as much furniture as possible, which helps to reduce our carbon footprint, manufacturing costs, and overall carbon expenditure. If we are unable to integrate it into a new scheme, we will work with our charity partners to refurbish or repair it, ensuring that as much furniture as possible is kept in use through upcycling.

Commitment to Recycling

With a focus on recycling and social values right through our company, we are transforming our business to provide FF&E solutions that are Net Zero and support the aspirations of modern building design. Here are some other ways we conduct recycling:

• High Recyclability: In a wide variety of the furniture we manufacture, we ensure that most materials used are over 95% recyclable.
• Sustainable Fabrics: We select sustainable upholstery fabrics, with a preference for natural wool-based options.
• Low VOC Emissions: We only manufacture and specify furniture that complies with BS EN Standards for low volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions so that the furniture has no harmful off-gassing, minimising indoor air pollution.
• No Deforestation: We have a ‘no deforestation’ commitment and all our in-house manufactured wood-based educational products are FSC certified.
• Minimal Packaging: We limit the packaging materials on our products and once installed on-site, the packaging is removed for recycling.

Building a Sustainable Future, together

Pinnacle’s dedication to sustainability in FF&E projects is evident in our practices and the constant pursuit of eco-friendly innovations. We are committed to protecting the environment and continually strive to reduce our environmental impact and look forward to achieving even greater sustainability milestones.

Find out more about our sustainability strategy, or contact us, to discuss how to make your school more sustainable.