Trine Mulvad Steffensen is New Product Launch and Corporate Social Responsibility Manager at Muuto, one of the most sought-after design brands in Copenhagen, Denmark. Through her work, she aims to make the company, and above all its designs, even more sustainable – most recently with the new edition of the Fiber Chair. We spoke to her about the biggest milestones and the tension between commercial viability and sustainability.
Dear Trine, how did you become CSR Manager at Muuto? What did you do before, and how long have you been working on sustainability?
I've always been personally interested in sustainability and corporate social responsibility. With my background as a product development manager, I've always followed and worked with sustainable initiatives and innovations. My experience in product development also gives me a thorough technical understanding of our products.
My technical background fits well with Muuto's approach to sustainability. At Muuto, our approach is knowledge-based, and we always stay curious. With every new advance in this field and every new piece of research, we look for new sustainability perspectives across all areas of our business. My background and interests give me in-depth knowledge and the insight needed, so taking on a role where I can focus 100% on CSR was a natural step.
How did you come to join Muuto? What do you like about the brand?
Muuto is an agile, fast-moving company with endless possibilities and the drive to act whenever an opportunity arises. That's what makes working at Muuto so interesting. We're always on our way to a better place.
What is Muuto's current sustainability strategy? What's on your agenda, and what are the challenges?
At Muuto, we work with CSR on many different levels – from the materials we choose and the partners we work with to the independent institutions that test and certify our products, and our packaging. We're constantly looking for new sustainability perspectives across all areas of our business. It's an ongoing journey, on which approaches, knowledge, legislation and best practices keep changing as we (and the rest of the world) evolve.
When it comes to our products, our main focus is on longevity, a healthier indoor climate and the choice of materials.
We want our designs to last, both in terms of their aesthetics and their durability. They should be designs you keep for a long time and hopefully want to pass on to the next generation. From a sustainability perspective, longevity minimises the natural resources and energy used in production over time. A high level of quality and durability, combined with lasting aesthetics, reduces the need to buy new products. Longevity is something we don't compromise on.
At Muuto, we also want our furniture to enhance its surroundings while creating a healthier indoor climate. This is closely linked to our choice of materials and our strict requirements regarding harmful substances. We also have an additional safety and testing procedure, investing considerable effort in having our furniture tested for emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), as these can have a negative effect on health.
Finally, choosing materials is an integrated and deliberate part of our design and product development – from the first sketches to the end of the product's life. We consider sustainability at every stage of the product life cycle and make a conscious effort to improve our impact as much as possible. We focus on health and minimising ecotoxicity, sustainable forestry and the use of natural resources.
We work on launching new products based on our sustainability perspectives, as well as continuously improving our existing collection. The best example of this – and a major milestone for Muuto – was the launch of our Fiber Chair made with recycled plastic.
What does a typical working day look like for you?
Much of my work is done in collaboration with the rest of the organisation, whether in communications, product development, compliance or sourcing.
At Muuto, CSR is an integral part of the whole organisation. As Corporate Responsibility Manager, I talk and work with many different people across the company. Sometimes these are very detailed operational discussions about sustainability and material choices. At other times, they're more strategic discussions about the paths we'll take in the future.
What would you say has changed most at Muuto in recent years in terms of sustainability? What are you proud of?
At Muuto, we keep taking steps to improve our impact on the world we live in. Our latest achievement is the launch of the Fiber Chair made from recycled plastic and FSC-certified wood fibres. That may sound like a modest challenge. But achieving the same strength and durability as the previous model meant delving into the highly complex world of mechanics and material properties. After two years of intensive research and development, we proved that we could reproduce the Fiber Chair with at least 80% recycled plastic, without compromising on strength, colour or feel.
Of course, no company can ever be 100% sustainable. Production, transport, shipping… These are all issues that can never be avoided completely and are always open to criticism. How do you deal with this at Muuto?
That's true! Making a product always has an impact. That's why it's important for us to create relevant, long-lasting designs, so that our products never feel disposable. Our designs should be something you want to keep for a long time and hopefully pass on to the next generation.
We're not perfect, but we listen and keep learning so we can continue to improve. We look for sustainable initiatives that have a positive impact on our industry, and we adopt them.
What do you do in your private life to live more sustainably? Do you have any tips on how we can all become more sustainable?
That's a really good question – and I'd love some advice myself.
I think a sustainable life starts with being aware of what you do and don't do. We all have different lives and priorities. But I think it's important that we all accept that we need to do things differently. We need to live consciously, being aware of when and how we have a negative impact.
What is your vision for Muuto's sustainable future? What do you hope for?
That we continue along the path we've taken. That we keep creating long-lasting designs while continuously improving by reducing our negative impact.
We recently became a member of the UN Global Compact, which is an important step for Muuto. This membership helps us become more aware, stay agile and take the right action to improve Muuto's CSR initiatives.
