SUSTAINABILITY & THE ENVIRONMENT
We take the utmost care of our environment while working at the same time to provide the ideal environment for our customers now and in the future.
SUSTAINABILITY POLICY STATEMENT
It is DAS’ policy to conduct its business in a manner that minimises any risk to the environment, its employees and members of the public and in compliance with all relevant environmental legislation.
The initiatives that emerge from DAS’ policy of continuous improvement ensure that neither employees, nor employees of sub-contractors, nor those who live and work in close proximity to DAS’ premises, will suffer damaging effects from the Company’s operations.
The Company is not engaged in any process that poses major environmental hazards and, accordingly, the main focus is on the following issues: –
Life Cycle Assessment
It is DAS’ policy to conduct its business in a manner that minimises any risk to the environment, its employees and members of the public and in compliance with all relevant environmental legislation.
The initiatives that emerge from DAS’ policy of continuous improvement ensure that neither employees, nor employees of sub-contractors, nor those who live and work in close proximity to DAS’ premises, will suffer damaging effects from the Company’s operations.
The Company is not engaged in any process that poses major environmental hazards and, accordingly, the main focus is on the following issues: –
Design
The DAS OPTIMA and DATUM ranges of furniture are designed and manufactured using precision components and elements of materials, pure in content, which are ‘designed for disassembly’. The rationale behind this design principle is that not only can the product be easily disassembled and reconfigured during it’s useable life, but also at the end of the product’s life cycle it can be separated into different component constituents/materials.
DAS has a very large and loyal customer base around the world, which serves as a testament to the use of pure quality materials and good, timeless, design.
Material Choice Selection
The materials used in all DAS products and associated accessories are carefully selected during the design development stage of their production. This enables us to provide our customers with products that are long lasting and add aesthetic life. This is demonstrated clearly by the extensive use of steel in desk design and construction. Our products realize maximum functionality while achieving the minimum use of material through innovative design and effective engineering.
Metal
The main structures of all DAS desks are composed of folded sheet and tubular mild steel, with steel hardware, sourced from Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) Processing Steel Mills, using ore of European origin.
Approximately 27% of EAF Steel used is Pre Consumer Recycled Content (LEED will accept 50% of this figure) and it is 98% recyclable.
Sustainable Forestation
All timber used in DAS’ products is obtained from managed and re-planted forests and is sourced from suppliers who are accredited by the Forestry Stewardship Council which verifies the Chain of Custody of wood-based materials used.
Desktops are made using FSC certified MDF produced with FSC certified 70% mix recycled content or MFC. The MDF is classified as suitable for use in internal dry conditions as defined in EN 622 Parts 1 and 5 and conform to EN13986. This qualifies as 1 point for LEED MR credit 7.
Where high-pressure laminates are used, they typically consist nominally of 60% paper and 30-40% cured phenol-formaldehyde and melamine-formaldehyde resins, which have emission levels far below the required level for wood based materials. Our most commonly used laminates all comply with EN438: 2005. The laminate is adhered to the MDF using a non-organic water-based product that is classified as being low VoC for emissions.
Plastics and Thermoplastics
All plastic components used are sourced from global brands, such as DuPont, that have a strong commitment to the environment. Engineering thermoplastics are typically capable of being reintroduced back in to a recycling chain and reconstituted in an alternative application. Material marking and identification allows easier methods of reprocessing when they are chosen to be recycled.
Where a PU edge-lipping detail is applied to the desktop the PU used is compliant to the RoHS directive. All impurities have been removed from our polyurethanes used to produce the PU edge detail so that there are no traces of lead, mercury and tin, which conventional polyurethane suppliers use to fill the material. This is a groundbreaking development as no other polyurethane suppliers offer this as a standard material and it is not used on any desks other than those supplied by DAS.
Volatile Organic Compounds
During the course of normal production methods DAS and its’ supply chain partners use no VOCs. In areas where these had once been used, such as the production of PU edges for desktops, new and improved methods of production, and the materials used, have ensured that the following products used fully comply with the latest RoHS/WEEE directive.
DAS products have been tested and certified in compliance with latest ANSI/BIFMA requirements by Eurofins test laboratories.
Waste Management
A most effective contribution to the environment can be achieved by eliminating waste. During manufacturing processes various measures are taken to ensure the environmental management of all waste materials, including the following:
- Wood working machines are equipped with vacuum sawdust collecting facilities, which ensure a clean working environment.
- Waste from woodworking machines is used in factory heating boilers thereby eliminating all waste to be removed from the premises.
- Scrap metal is collected from the various factory facilities and is recycled by local approved and accredited waste management contractors.
- Packaging materials are reduced to a minimum, consisting of cardboard (which is recyclable), polythene sheets/shrink wrap and wooden pallets, which are reused or recycled when their condition deteriorates beyond usability.
In addition to a key focus on manufacturing processes, an “employee awareness” programme also highlights the benefits of cutting out unnecessary use of materials and energy.
Energy Conservation
DAS continually works towards reducing its energy consumption. All offices, warehousing and factories are housed in recently built buildings providing high standards of insulation, economic heating, lighting and energy distribution. All office and production equipment is replaced using a strict program to ensure minimal energy waste.
Environmental Accreditations and Legislation
The standards applied by DAS regarding materials content and supply chain sourcing ensures that our customers are able to meet their key environmental targets and related criteria, including those set out in LEED and BREAM requirements.
DAS is fully certified in accordance with the requirements of ISO 14001:2004 Certificate No. 199448.
In addition, all our main supply chain partners, manufacturers and suppliers are fully certified to ISO 14001:2004.