It doesn’t matter whether it’s the living room, kitchen or bathroom: when we’re buying new furniture for our homes, we want quality products. Up until now, “Made in Germany” has always been regarded as a designation of origin that ensures that quality. However, due to increasingly global supply chains, this self-labelling is in danger of being undermined. From what point can a piece of furniture call itself “Made in Germany”? Does the product have to be made entirely in Germany, or is it enough for the final quality control to be conducted in Germany?
In order to give customers a better information basis, the Association of the German Furniture Industry (Verband der deutschen Möbelindustrie / VDM) and the German Institute for Quality Assurance and Certification (Deutsche Institut für Gütesicherung und Kennzeichnung / RAL) have developed a new label: “Furniture made in Germany” is a guarantee of geographical origin in compliance with the RAL-RG 0191 standard. The label gives end consumers a reliable guarantee of origin when purchasing furniture.
Launched by the VDM on 1 June 2020, the label is the first guarantee of origin for furniture to be recognised by RAL and the first for everyday items in general. It is awarded to cabinets, chairs & Co. from Germany that have been proven to comply with the strictly defined criteria that RAL has established in collaboration with industry experts. This means the development, assembly and quality testing of the products to be certified have to take place in Germany. In addition, the quality-relevant manufacturing process must mainly take place in Germany and the components have to primarily originate from Germany too. Compliance with these requirements is monitored by the German Quality Assurance Association for Furniture (DGM) on the VDM’s behalf.
Our company didn’t just number among the first 30 manufacturers to be audited in accordance with RAL-RG 0191, it was also the first bathroom furniture manufacturer to be awarded the label. Since the guarantee of origin is a product certification, every one of our product segments was audited and certified separately. Consequently, each of the five lines in our furniture range meets the criteria in its own right and is entitled to carry its own label: our entry level and quick ship line sys10, the collections of the sys20 design line, the modular sys30 system, the rc40 room concept and the rl Room Light series.
Our company philosophy has always been shaped by sustainable thinking and action and, as a firm managed in the tradition of Germany’s famed Mittelstand, we see the “Furniture made in Germany” label as a way to continue expanding the sustainability activities that we have been engaging in at various levels for several years now. As recently as March 2021, burgbad was recertified as a “climate-neutral furniture manufacturer” for the fifth time. Back in 2016, burgbad became the first bathroom furniture manufacturer to join the DGM’s Climate Pact and jumped straight to its highest level as a “climate-neutral furniture manufacturer”. In addition – besides other recognised labels – all our furniture has held PEFC chain of custody certification since 2014. PEFC* (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) is an independent certification system that promotes sustainable forest management.
However, our corporate responsibility has been based on far more than the top-quality and efficient production of bathroom furniture for a long time now. Besides environmental protection, it includes the protection of our customers and employees as well. Since 2015, our entire range of furniture has been continuously certified with a Class A emissions rating. The Class A rating means a low risk of exposure to harmful substances and is the best-possible classification awarded by the world’s first emissions label for furniture**.
Consistent quality criteria pay off
Since 2020, our bestselling Eqio range has carried the Blue Angel ecolabel – which means it is made of low-emission materials, compatible with a healthy living environment and made of materials from sustainably managed forests. When we selected Eqio for the certification process, our decision in favour of a popular range that offers attractive value for money was very deliberate: we wanted to show that we hold our collections from the entry-level segment to the same standards as high-end products.
With the new “Furniture made in Germany” label too, we are underscoring our responsibility to our customers: when they choose a burgbad product, no matter which segment it’s from, they can count on the fact that, in addition to its sophisticated design, every detail of the furniture they’ve opted for meets the highest safety and environmental standards in Germany today. Because only controllable regional supply chains and consistent sustainability management can make our bathroom furniture what it is: furniture for a home with a feel-good factor.
Click here for a complete list of all the labels and sustainability initiatives burgbad is involved with.
* Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification By way of comparison: a Class D rating is only equivalent to compliance with the legal requirements regarding limits for formaldehyde
