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Phillips Collection
Best Practice Achievements
Sustainable Materials
We make a conscious effort to manage our materials selection, seeking materials we are confident are sustainable, such as legally harvested forest products, responsibly produced plantation products, and recycled content:
Recycling and Reclamation
We factor disassembly, recyclability and product reclamation into buying decisions. We offer a product reclamation/product reuse policy:
Return and Reuse
We use recycled or recyclable packing/packaging materials, offer blanket-wrap transportation arrangements for customers and have a carton return/reuse policy:
Chain of Custody
We ask for verifiable chain of custody documents (i.e. legal logging certifications) before buying products containing wood:
Decrease use of Toxic Chemicals
We have decreased our use/acceptance of known toxic chemicals for treatments, binders and finishes, replacing compounds that compromise indoor air quality and are harmful to human health:
Low Environmental Impact Textiles
We are asking our vendors for textiles that have a lower environmental impact, i.e. organic cotton in place of conventionally-grown cotton, as well as seeking other eco-friendly textiles:
Life Cycle Analysis
We are moving forward on doing a Life Cycle Analysis and/or are applying for SMaRT certification:
Local Sourcing
We extract, manufacture and distribute for consumer use within a 500 mile radius for at least a portion of our product line:
Third Party Certifications
We hold third party certifications for some of our products, or as a store, we promote and educate the consumer on the meaning of various third party certifications:
Sharing the Wealth
We take responsibility for sharing our commitment to sustainability up and down our entire supply chain, rewarding our vendors with increased business for partnering with us on sustainability issues:
Social Responsibility Code
We have a written Social Responsibility Code of Contact that is a baseline for employee relations:
Supplier Responsibility
We have written and distributed a Supplier Responsibility Code of Conduct for our vendors and conduct training at our partner facilities on the adoption of same:
Health and Safety Code Compliance
We and our partners meet or exceed all local health and safety codes and can document our health and safety working conditions in all our facilities/stores:
We Pay Living Wages
We pay a living wage rather than minimum wage and extend that around the globe:
We Sponsor Sustainability Events
We have participated in or sponsored in-store, community and/or regional educational events on sustainability and the environment:
We Inspect
We investigate and mitigate any negative environmental impacts from our operations:
Save Paper and Other Office Resources
We save paper and other office resources with a policy expressing an aversion to excess written documentation:
We Use Energy Specialists
We have had an energy specialist or utility company audit to measure our conventional energy usage and are on track to reduce it. We are replacing a portion of the energy we consume with certified renewable energy, either directly, via a program of our local utility, or via Green e-Power:
Updated Inefficient Equipment
We have replaced outdated and inefficient equipment, identified and changed wasteful resource procedures and implemented tighter operational controls:
Energy Efficient Lighting
We have increased the use of day lighting and/or are upgrading to more energy efficient lighting system:
Verified Sustainability Claims
We make only verifiable sustainability claims in adherence with FTC mandates against greenwash and in support of their Environmental Marketing Guides:
Committed to Training
We are committed to conducting training in-house and in the broader community about global climate change and our partnership with the SFC:
In keeping with our commitment to continual improvement, we are planning to take the following actions this year: On reducing energy consumption:
We continue to strive to reduce our carbon footprint and energy consumption by staying on the leading edge of new technologies and best practices. For 2022 we are assessing our packing department and how to reduce waste of material and unnecessary overages with power tool usage. The movement of goods throughout our warehouses is being reassessed so the most highly purchased items are closest to our loading docks. In addition to packing, we have acquired new facilities and go through our multi-step improvement of those structures from energy efficient roofing to led lighting. For many, this is a big step, for us, it’s the bare minimum. We strive to make the best decisions for the planet even if it cuts into our margins. In the case of upfitting energy efficient lighting, it’s a financially responsible decision as it pays for itself in a very short period of time.
In years past, we focused on major facility energy improvements and savings. We have already installed LED lighting throughout the main buildings, re-engineered our water and power systems, and have installed Big Ass Fans to keep a healthy and constant flow of air coming in and exhausting out of the building.
In keeping with our commitment to continual improvement, we are planning to take the following actions this year: On how we will manage our primary material or service to a more sustainable direction:
We are adding dehumidifying rooms in our warehouse to help maintain the moisture levels of the solid wood we import. This will improve our product prep and turnaround time, requiring less time spent in the warehouse and quicker shipments to our clients. Further, it reduces the amount of wood that will have to be discarded if the moisture levels remain too high. The dehumidifying rooms bring the moisture content of our woods down incrementally. Drying wood too quickly can result in it warping or spitting which could ruin the stock. This new facility improvement will dramatically reduce waste and loss.
We plan to continue to innovate our packing methods and are currently in talks with one of the largest packaging companies in the country–Atlantic Packaging–about using state-of-the-art mushroom packaging in place of our paper packaging where possible. It’s an exciting time in this part of our business as the cost of shipping is astronomically high, it’s making us reassess voluminous items and reengineering packaging so it minimizes damages. A damaged item that requires pickup and replacement is one of the most costly parts of our operation and we need to avoid this as a priority.
We always work from our end cuts, whether at the factory or in our North Carolina wood shop. So we collect waste piles and turn them into art. Not many companies can do it at the scale we do, and we cherish that. Our customers have come to expect tasteful, artistic designs born from the scraps of material we accumulate. There is not a dining slab that gets cut so that the client doesn’t end up with a nice side table or bench as a result of that end cut.
In keeping with our commitment to continual improvement, we are planning to take the following actions this year: On education and promotion of the sustainability cause:
We are a company deeply committed to sustainability and we live by the ethos that every company can make a difference in their efforts to nurture the planet and to help protect our environment.
Celebrating nearly forty years as a supplier in the furnishings industry, we pride ourselves on our global stewardship with a core belief in sustainability, and implement eco-friendly manufacturing in all of our locations, both locally and abroad.
Building on our long standing relationships with the Thai government where we source the majority of our wood, we also help to teach our vendors ways to establish and maintain sustainable business practices. We work closely with each of our partner factories, as we care deeply about how each location selects woods and fibers. Each year we also invest in the replanting of trees and create tree nurseries in order to replenish those that we have converted into living works of art.
Through partnerships with sustainability leaders, our executive team speaks at conferences, and panels across the country. As proponents of sustainable manufacturing and in order to share ways that other manufactures can implement sustainable techniques for their trade businesses.
In addition to offering educational sessions within our design and trade communities, our goal is to uplift, foster and facilitate sustainability education in the communities we work alongside, and to invoke a positive impact in each region and country we operate.
