The newly established Formex Sustainability Award has attracted a great deal of interest in the industry. During the fall, exhibiting companies have been able to enter their products, and the Formex jury has now shortlisted nine of the entries—ranging from organic seeds to cell phone shells and scented candle refills. All the entries will be on display at Formex in January 2023, where the winner will also be announced.
The Formex Sustainability Award aims to make sustainability a talking point and highlight good examples as a means of promoting sustainable development in the industry. The award is designed as a competition for which exhibiting companies and designers have been able to submit entries produced in a climate-friendly and eco-friendly way.
A jury consisting of designer Marie-Louise Hellgren, designer Emma Olbers, journalist and co-founder of Klimatklubben Maria Soxbo, Björn Florman, the Materials Library and Kajsa Falck-Torlegård, operative event manager at Formex, has subsequently shortlisted ten entries for the award.
– We’ve seen a wide range of products among the entries submitted, which is an encouraging sign that sustainability is permeating the industry more and more. Our shortlisted entries also represent many different aspects of the concept of sustainability, from traceability and small-scale production to reuse and refills, says jury member and journalist Maria Soxbo.
The nine shortlisted entries with motivations will be exhibited at Formex in January 2023, where the winner will also be announced and receive the award—a unique figurine created by designer and jury member Marie-Louise Hellgren, as well as ten square meters of free space at the next Formex.
– We hope the exhibition will inspire exhibitors to highlight the sustainability mindset that’s often in play, and also to take new steps in a sustainable direction. Formex wants to be a platform for knowledge sharing, and this award and the physical exhibition highlight good examples for the entire industry. This is just the beginning and it will be exciting to see how the Formex Sustainability Award develops over time, says Sonja Björk Ebert, Project Area Manager at Formex.
SHORTLISTED FOR FORMEX SUSTAINABILITY AWARD 2023
Bags — Baoobaoo Leather Production AB
A good example of social sustainability and circularity coming together to create an even greater whole. Reusing discarded materials reduces waste and makes the new product more durable, and transferring the use of the cover fabric from a fossil-fuel vehicle to a human being is an added bonus.
Cell phone shell—Bark Sweden
A practical everyday product in a beautiful design, which utilizes natural resources that would otherwise have gone to waste, while protecting a product with a heavy climate impact. Traceable, resource-efficient and well thought-out—and a reason for the digitized human being to handle natural materials every day.
Seeds—Eco Grow Skåne AB
Beautifully packaged gardening happiness that fills a hole in the market—KRAV eco-labeled seeds don’t grow on trees! Horticulture creates value for many people, promotes biodiversity and will be an important piece of the puzzle going forwards, as our Nordic climate changes.
Throws/shawls – eldblå
It’s no coincidence that woolen blankets have been a natural feature in Swedish homes for generations. A practical and beautiful renewable material, a textile craftsmanship that stands the test of time, and locally sourced materials and locally based production. The contribution to biodiversity is an added bonus.
Brushes—Iris Hantverk
With roots in a brush-binding factory dating back to the 1800s, this lovely, handmade everyday object has survived into modern times and is facing a bright future. Local craftsmanship, natural materials and social sustainability come together in timeless designs that are easy on the eye.
Vases—Jakobsdals (Home of textile Scandinavia AB)
At a time when exotic, short-lived cut flowers are flown into Sweden to fill our desire for flair, a vase intended for dried infinity flowers feels norms shifting and intriguing. The material is natural and partly recycled, and really comes into its own in these handmade products.
Basic garments—Movesgood (Lean Retail AB)
Finding an alternative route in the textile industry—one of the world’s most polluting, resource-intensive and environmentally damaging industries—is a challenge. But here non-toxic processes and renewable materials have been combined with a design philosophy beyond fleeting trend cycles.
Scented candle refill—Remoair
With a simple and smart product, the scented candle market has finally been given a refill solution that works. An attractive way to encourage reuse and create an atmosphere in our homes without the reek of the fossil-fuel industry, animal by-products or rainforest deforestation.
Mood light—Smart Form Sweden
A mood booster based on an innovative raw material that makes an interesting alternative to fossil paraffin and animal stearin. Small-scale, local manufacturing minimizes waste and overproduction, without compromising on quality or functionality.
About Formex
Formex, the most important meeting place for Nordic interior design, will be held January 17–20 at Stockholmsmässan. Read more at www.formex.se
