Sustainability is not only about how we treat the planet, but also about employees, suppliers and producers. It is with building lasting relationships that you can mean more to each other and help each other grow. SUM (Still Usable Materials) is not only an initiative that is about recycling and giving new value to used materials, but also about assigning more value to collaborations. This initiative came about a few years ago when the idea was put into effect to have the aluminum tubes used in our chairs made from recycled aluminum parts.
Satelliet entered into this recycling process with a producer from Indonesia with whom we have been working with for over 25 years and who, among other things, is our partner in producing furniture with plastic wickerwork. In all these years of cooperation, we have gone through many developments together in terms of technology and design. We believe that this lasting relationship has fueled the growth of both companies. But having such a partnership also makes it possible to think together about the future and possibilities in the field of sustainability. This already resulted in the recycling of aluminum, and now offers opportunities again.
In order to guarantee the quality of our products, it is important that only high-quality recycled plastic is used. This is why Satelliet collaborate with a specialized company that can provide the correct influx of this material. The material they ultimately deliver is also known as HDPE. Tests are currently being carried out to determine whether this HDPE material is actually suitable for the production of our furniture, because above all we stand for quality. Fortunately, this looks promising to date.
Satelliet product designers have now worked hard on several matching designs, the prototypes of which will be shown for the first time at the Open Days 2020. And this is just the beginning. With SUM we have the ambition to (re) discover more and more materials and techniques with which we can pursue our sustainability mission.