Circular Hotel Interior: a pathway to a sustainable future

The circular economy, an essential link and an unavoidable goal

Circular Hotel Interior, the first EU certification mark for hotel interior products (textiles, wood and furniture), is born. This label assesses the circularity of products and gives an at-a-glance picture of their performance. A platform enables quick selection of products and facilitates direct contact between specifiers and manufacturers or distributors.

The linear economy has reached its limits. With current and future shortages of raw materials, a disrupted climate, problematic supply chains and doubtful consumers, the circular economy is slowly but surely finding its way. The need for a sustainable, resilient model in Europe is therefore more of a necessity than a virtue.

Within the circular economy, there are various methods to save raw materials, design better, produce better, extend life span, repair, reuse, recycle, ... For example, companies from the textile, wood and furniture sectors are increasingly contributing to these developments with products that put the circular economy into practice. Objective recognition of the qualities of these products and an accompanying positive image are necessary.

An objective certification mark 

To objectify the ecological properties of products and support a policy of social responsibility in the hotel and accommodation sector, the Circular Hotel Interior certification mark was developed. That label has since been registered with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and offers certification for interior and textile products for the hotel sector. 

Each product is independently certified by a third party and can be given one to four badges to demonstrate its circularity. No less than twenty-seven different criteria, developed by the scientific partners of the Ecy-Twin project, assess the products in terms of circularity. Recognition in one or more domains is then awarded.

The first domain is eco-design. Is a product designed to be circular? Is it dismountable, repairable, recyclable or of biological origin? Then there is eco-production, when efforts are made on circularity during the production phase. This can be with used materials and their proximity, production processes, use of renewable energy, reverse logistics... Another domain is the extension of the useful life. Does the company take actions to extend the useful life of products? Think reconditioning of products, spare parts, instructions for disassembly and repair, product take-back system with appropriate treatment. Finally, waste reduction, such as manufacturing waste reuse actions, industrial symbiosis, manufacturing waste recycling and any other strategy to control and reduce waste generation.

A strong brand

The need to support and highlight the circularity of products for the hotel sector arose from a collective reflection within a working group with companies from the textile, wood and furniture sectors. The scientific partners of the Interreg Ecy-Twin project are also represented, namely three research centres (WOOD.BE, CENTEXBEL, CELABOR), a university (ULB) and an engineering school (ENSAIT). The companies involved are De Poortere Frères, Louis de Poortere, Veldeman, Unilin, Mobitec, Resortecs, Trust Studio, Noma Edition, Dizy, Oakame, Revor, Sonian Wood, Verimpex, Carpentier and BerryAlloc. They deepened and shared their knowledge of the circular economy and circular manufacturing. Their insights from the project and contract market, where they work with architects, interior designers and decorators on hotel and leisure facilities, also added value. Thus, criteria for qualifying circular products emerged and pioneered the Circular Hotel Interior brand. 

For hoteliers, businesses and end-users

The size of the contract market allows more flexible management of issues such as product traceability, tracking during the use phase and return logistics by groups of similar products. Moreover, in the hotel sector, green transition efforts are already commonplace for certain product categories such as detergents, food and communication tools. 

Yet much action is still needed in terms of circular supply for interior design. Circular Hotel Interior, the first EU certification label in this field, marks an important step forward. The label is there for European manufacturers and distributors of circular products from wood, textiles, and furniture for the contract and hotel market, who want to promote their commitment to the circular economy through an industry-specific catalogue. Also welcome are specifiers, hoteliers, interior designers and decorators looking for an effective way to identify circular products for their projects. Finally, Circular Hotel Interior also aims to be a platform for end users, who want to be informed about the commitments of their chosen accommodation to reduce its environmental impact. At the launch of the brand, nearly 40 products destined for the hotel sector from some 15 manufacturers have already been certified. This list is maintained and updated via the website.■