Actiu, a leading Spanish company in the design and manufacture of furniture for work spaces, strengthens its role in the sustainable furniture sector with a comprehensive approach that consolidates sustainability as one of the fundamental pillars of its business strategy. Obtaining key certifications such as LEVEL® 2, ISO 14001:2015, LEED®, and WELL™supports its commitment to the environment and people, and its commitment to a model based on the circular economy and “kilometer zero”.
This holistic approach, which Actiu has called “360 sustainability”, It is deployed in all areas of the company, from production and product design to resource management and energy optimization. In its facilities, the company has implemented energy efficiency measures that include the use of solar energy and optimization of water consumption. This advanced industrial model places Actiu at the forefront of sustainability within the sector, creating an environmentally friendly production ecosystem, focused on minimizing environmental impact and maximizing efficiency.
«For us, manufacturing in the 21st century means creating without destroying, adding value in the areas that really need human talent,” explains Soledat Berbegal, director and head of Brand Reputation at Actiu. “With our commitment to the circular economy and the use of local resources, we seek to create products that not only improve spaces, but also people’s lives.”
Soledat Berbegal, refers to “Life-Friendly Spaces”, her new business strategy where this new vision of sustainability is located as “an agenda that permeates every level of the organization and that involves all our workers, clients and suppliers in a mission. shared: taking care of people and the environment, generating a positive and sustainable impact.
Digitization and circularity
Digitalization also plays a key role in Actiu’s sustainability strategy. Thanks to the implementation of the enterprise resource planning (ERP) system with SAP, the company has managed to integrate all production and management areas into a sustainable system that covers industry, processes, product and user, promoting circularity and the recovery of materials. Actiu has worked to ensure that 100 percent of its products meet sustainability and circularity criteria, aligning its entire production chain with these principles.
Actiu’s commitment is reinforced with its recent obtaining of the Level 2 certification, issued by Certinalia under the strict standards of the European Office Furniture Federation (FEMB).
This achievement guarantees that Actiu meets high levels of sustainability, health and social responsibility, not only in its products but also in its processes and its value chain. In turn, the company has been the first large manufacturing company to voluntarily register its carbon footprint in Scope 1+2 and 3 on the platform of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, an effort that includes the reduction of direct emissions due to fuel consumption, indirect emissions from the energy used in processes and indirect emissions in the value chain.
During 2023, Actiu has managed to reduce its energy consumption by 4,197.99 MWh, saving a total of 1,087.28 tons of CO2 equivalent, which represents the annual consumption of more than 1,283 Spanish homes. Altogether, the company has avoided the emission of 2,175.13 tons of CO2, thanks to the use of 100 percent renewable energy, reaffirming its commitment to decarbonization and environmental responsibility.
“Our goal is to prepare for future challenges and growth, applying rigorous criteria of efficiency and productivity for the benefit of the planet and people,” comments Joaquín Berbegal, CEO of Actiu. “We want to demonstrate that there is a responsible and sustainable way of creating, designing and producing, and that this way of doing business is possible and profitable.”
With more than 50 years of history, Actiu continues to demonstrate that sustainability and innovation can go hand in hand, leading a necessary change in the furniture industry. Its 360 sustainability model has become a competitive advantage that not only adds value to the company, but also inspires other players in the sector to adopt responsible practices.