The jury declared Cooloo the winner in the Best Sustainable Brand category and Cay for the Best Sustainable Starter category. The Houtbroeders became best Sustainable Maker and Ubed was voted public favorite by the public based on the online votes and the voting wall at the fair.
The vt wonen&design fair is still in full swing, but it is now a tradition, the Sustainable Living Awards are presented on the Friends&Familiy night.
These Awards were created to put producers of sustainable living products in the spotlight. After all, they stick their neck out and are often pioneers in a sector that is still lagging behind in terms of sustainability. Although we are very concerned with sustainability in the Netherlands, this mainly concerns the energy efficiency of our homes and much less attention is paid to the furnishings. That is often a big blind spot.
The Substitute, platform and community for the sustainable alternative and also organizer of the Sustainable Living Awards, recently had our interior investigated. And guess what? Our interior is more polluting than the contents of our wardrobe! For a household of 2 people with 2 children, this concerns 1009 KG CO2 per year for the interior versus 650 KG CO2 per year for this family's clothing.
But back to the Awards. Because with this we like to celebrate what sustainable beauty is already being brought onto the market! The professional jury, consisting of: Geert-Jan Smits : entrepreneur, former founder of Flinders, co-owner of RSGA Design and advisor to and investor in sustainable startups; Wisse Traai : designer and curator for Isola Design District with a focus on young talent and sustainable design ; Marije Remigius : founder of Circu Leren, with which she supports interior designers, architects, clients and makers to carry out projects circularly and Jack Meijers : freelance journalist, including for Eigen Huis & Interieur, assessed the entries.
The Jury assessed themes such as raw materials and materials, production location, production process, working conditions, transport, lifespan extension, company vision and mission, impact and certifications and of course the design!
From the Jury Report: “It is interesting to see how young start-ups often take the lead in transparency and innovation. Hopefully they will encourage the bigger players to follow in their footsteps. The sustainability agenda should not be a by-catch or a marketing frill, but should be central to business operations. Because consumers can sense exactly whether a brand is serious or whether it is engaging in 'greenwashing'. The jury thanks all entrants who demonstrate with their entries that they are on a sustainable path. Whether it concerns a small, traditional one-man operation, an enthusiastic SME or a larger market party: the commitment to do better helps us further. What's good for the planet is good for all of us. Hopefully this year's entrants, nominees and winners will inspire other makers, brands and companies to follow their inspired example.”
---
Ubed, Public Favorite 2023
In the Netherlands alone, more than one and a half million mattresses are discarded every year. Ubed wants to systematically tackle the waste problem within the mattress industry. Not every part of a mattress wears out equally quickly. The production of modular mattresses with interchangeable parts should guarantee a substantial extension and even doubling of the lifespan.
Unlike many competitors, Ubed does not use moisture-sensitive and difficult to recycle foam, but the entire mattress, from the adhesive to the cover, is made of recyclable polyester and free of harmful chemicals. Ubed works exclusively with suppliers who take back outdated parts and materials for reprocessing, for example for the production of new covers and comfort layers.
