Sustainable Design: A Continuous Improvement Process
03.2022
Salvatori remains dedicated to producing innovative and beautiful design objects.
As part of our mission to become the world’s leading environmentally-friendly design company, we are committed to finding innovative and sustainable solutions to the many challenges that face our industry. From becoming the first company to clean and recycle the water used when cutting stone, to Lithoverde®, the first completely recycled stone surface, we have demonstrated that, rather than slow-moving governments, it is dynamic companies that have the best opportunity – and responsibility – to make a difference.
It is a long process, and one that is not just restricted to developing new products or methods of production – the approach of the whole company has to be reconsidered, including how we ship our products or communicate with our customers. After a lengthy period of research and development, we are now able to package 40% of our products using recycled cardboard and paper from responsible, FSC-certified sources, a considerable achievement given the challenges of protecting materials like marble.
We have also embarked on a project with the R&D department of Pisa’s Scuola Normale Superiore university with the aim of developing edible packaging. What does this mean? Simply put, packaging that contains no chemical agents whatsoever, but instead uses only those elements found in nature, meaning the results are completely compostable.
We are also minimising the use of paper by not printing price lists and prioritising the digital version of our catalogue over print. For a design brand, competing at the highest level, it is a move that goes against the established norms in the industry, but at Salvatori we recognise our role in motivating a cultural change throughout design – influencing the behaviour of the consumer as well as other brands and retailers.
We have already replaced paper shopping bags with reusable cotton ones and have completely eliminated the use of plastic bottles in our offices, using only recyclable glass bottles, with our own stainless steel bottles in development. Together, these small steps not only reduce our impact on the environment but promote an approach to sustainability that, inside our company and beyond, offer solutions to the issues we are all facing. In the words of Gabriele Salvatori: “The planet is something we have been taking into consideration since 1975 when we adopted a 100% water recycling policy. That was something completely new in our industry at that time, and since then, it has become almost second nature to us to find ways to put the planet first in everything we do at Salvatori. It may sound trite, but it’s not about marketing – it’s something we really believe in!”
Salvatori remains dedicated to producing innovative and beautiful design objects that create inspiring, elevating environments, but there is also the need for companies to do their part in ensuring our world is protected for the future. With our advanced R&D department, a tradition of responsible design and working with quality, long-lasting raw materials, we have the opportunity to drive real change in the industry.
How did the idea for Lithoverde come about? The reality is that we had a big architectural firm in New York which really wanted to use our products, but they couldn’t because they needed to attain a certain number of LEED points to comply with the sustainability requirements of their project which they could get by using Kilometre Zero stone.
Innovation can come from unlikely places, including – as is the case for the world’s first recycled stone surface – the landfill.
