148 Getting the measure of sustainability Interior products are often informally assigned with a sustainability rating during the selection process for newbuild and refurbishment projects. Jon Ingleton polled supporters of the SMI Declaration to establish which criteria should be prioritised Specifiers of interior products for passenger ships are all mindful of sustainability performance. But few judge it by the same criteria. Manufacturers find themselves having to provide different data for each prospective client and can be urged to follow several different certification pathways. This inconsistency creates confusion and cost, and it’s stalling the industry’s ability to consistently deliver more sustainable interiors. Cruise & Ferry Review asked supporters of the Sustainable Maritime Interiors Declaration (see www.sustainablemaritimeinteriors.com) what they considered to be the most important criteria for product sustainability. Responses were ranked and grouped into top fives for each of four lifecycle phases: design, manufacturing, product use and end of life (see table on page 150). Sustainable design Circular design was the criteria most frequently suggested. It embodies all the criteria discussed here and must be considered in any sustainable product determination. Design can change the world. Resource depletion, waste and pollution are consciously designed choices. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation summarises it neatly: “Circular design is about designing interventions at different levels of the system. It is about unlocking value at every stage of the process by maintaining the materials already in use, increasing the number of users for every product, and using practices that have regenerative outcomes for nature.” The easiest, and perhaps most conclusive, way for a buyer to verify circular design is through trusted certification programmes, such as Cradle to Cradle, EU Ecolabel or Nordic Swan Ecolabel (see table on p154). The principles of ‘rethink’ and ‘reduce’ are fundamental to circular design and both rely on imagination and innovation. “Our company is continuing to push boundaries through design and innovation for future sustainable efforts,” says Willie Trager, interior design manager at Holland America Group. Led by director of interior design My Nguyen, the group inspires product and material designers to rethink, reduce and otherwise innovate – rewarding leaders with encouragement, support, pilot projects and sales. Social and ethical considerations are designed into products by choice or left out through neglect. Manufacturers must consider the social impact of the products they take to market or risk significant FEATURE
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