Mix Roundtable Issue 206 organized by Ege Carpets and Mix Interiors.
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This month's roundtable looks at human-friendly, planet-friendly and animal-friendly design and its connotations - from products and production methods, to the wider contect of creating a brand and design differential in an increasingly semented market. Will the ethics ever outweigh the economics?
Talking about sustainable aspirations for the future (the business is looking to achieve Cradle to Cradle Platinum by 2030) and the challenges this brings to a manufacturer. As an example, Richard explains how 80:20 wool blend carpets are more durable than 100% wool products, but the blends cannot by separated when it comes to recycling.
“We see a lot of the hotel operators insist on having 80:20 wool blend carpets as a brand standard. As Richard says, 100% wool is not as durable and, often, there’s a view that if a carpet is not 80:20 wool then it’s not as high a quality. This is a mix of economics and perception – rather than an ethical decision – because, if you think about hospitality, it has to be aspirational, it has to be luxurious. It does depend on the level though – hospitality is extremely broad ranging. At the budget level, there are more manmade materials specified – and arguably there should be more vegan focus. But – and this is a real contradiction in terms – boutique hotels will very rarely use manmade materials because they are all about opulence and luxury. For them, it’s all about wool, leather and silk. If you are charging £250 or £500 a night, you need to have that perception of luxury.” - Una Barac, Founder and Executive Director, Atellior
