Sustainability is not just a buzzword but a real concern for Blum, one of the world’s market leaders in furniture fittings. The Austrian family-owned business has launched numerous initiatives, big and small, that contribute to sustainable development. Across the company and beyond.

Clearly, everyone must do their part to protect and preserve the planet for future generations. Companies,in particular industrial ones, have a special responsibility in this regard. Blum is well aware of its responsibility: acting sustainably is one of the company’s key values. To this end, the family-owned business has come up with numerous ideas and initiatives to heighten its employees’ sustainability awareness and lead the way as a role model for others.

Sustainability is multifaceted. To address its multifaceted nature, Blum has taken guidance from the United Nation’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals and focussed on topics such as the effective use of resources, climate protection, infrastructure and working at Blum. The company does not just pay lip service: it has taken concrete measures to steer development towards sustainability in all these areas.

Starting with its products, Blum strives to achieve closed material loops. For example, zinc scrap from the production process is fed directly back into the machine or sent to an in-house remelting furnace to be processed into new raw material. Any production waste that cannot be recycled internally is fed back into the economy by an external partner. According to Sustainability Officer Laura Löffler, “This increases resource efficiency and minimises environmental impact.” The latter also applies to the company’s logistics concept: Blum has its own rail sidings, ensuring that up to 40% of its deliveries are made by rail in a climate-friendly manner. In addition, more than 50% of the company’s trucks are powered by locally produced biogas.

Blum is equally innovative when it comes to energy supply: 95% of its ventilation systems are equipped with heat recovery systems which harness the waste heat from the production process to meet (in part) the heating requirements of its plants in Austria. What is more, Blum uses district heating, groundwater cooling and photovoltaic systems at some of its sites, above all in its own buildings which are mainly designed as multi-storey structures in order to minimise the use of land. As a result, it is possible to use 14,000 sq. metres (150,000 sq. ft.) of land to create 50,000 sq. metres (500,000 sq. ft.) of floor space – equivalent to the size of five football pitches which will be preserved as “near-natural areas”.

Talking of which, green roofs (such as those of Plant 4 in Bregenz) have been an integral part of Blum’s infrastructure for more than 20 years. They help to conserve biodiversity, act as CO2 sinks and also improve air quality.

Last but not least, Blum has also come up with many ideas to get employees involved in sustainability. For instance, it has developed its own mobility concept which encourages the use of environmentally-friendly transport (public transport or bicycles) to travel to and from work. More than half of staff use the offering.

There is still a long way to go. It will take the efforts of everyone involved – in the company and in the industry as a whole. It will take a willingness to change, a healthy dose of tenacity, and above all flexibility, versatility and creativity – in line with Blum’s sustainability motto, “moving ideas for sustainability”.

Ultimately, sustainability is a challenge that we all need to address because it applies to us all. Or as owner and CEO Philipp Blum puts it: “It needs everyone to get things done. It starts with every single one of us because sustainability concerns us all.”

Find out more about Blum on: http://www.blum.com