Maria Jeglinska-Adamczewska
Carbon footprint of Arco

The carbon footprint of Arco is -(minus)157 kg CO₂ eq., implying the design is better than carbon neutral and the lowest footprint of all the Connected designs. Maria Jeglinska-Adamczewska places strong emphasis on simplicity in the design and this in turn contributes to low environmental impact. A very high proportion (98%) of the finished furniture comprises sustainable wood products, carefully crafted to minimise the need for glues and fixings. There is very high conversion efficiency so that 80% of the wood delivered to Benchmark is incorporated in the finished product. Low energy input during manufacturing and Benchmark’s reliance on a renewable energy supplier add to the strong environmental performance.

Total carbon emissions during all stages of material extraction, processing and transport, and for manufacturing at Benchmark are 147 kg CO₂ eq. These emissions are offset by 19 kg CO₂ eq. due to burning of wood offcuts at Benchmark (which substituted for fossil fuel) and 285 kg CO₂ eq. of carbon stored in the wood. This is sufficient to offset a 1231 km drive in a typical family car or 6.7 days of carbon emissions by the average EU citizen. It takes only 2.2 seconds for the 196 kg of cherry used to manufacture the design to be replaced by regrowth in the U.S. forest.

Despite the distances involved, transport accounts for only around 9% of all emissions associated with the design. The carbon footprint is much more sensitive to other factors, such as waste and energy mix during manufacturing, than to transport distance. The environmental benefit of a beautifully crafted and timeless design in sustainable natural wood like Arco is enhanced by the likelihood of it remaining in use for many years, avoiding the need for replacement and ensuring carbon remains locked in the furniture and not released into the atmosphere.