Nestled in the heart of Finland, our family-owned company has quietly redefined the furniture industry's approach to sustainability over the past six decades. Founded in 1964 by Pentti Viitala, Luonto Furniture has grown from humble beginnings reupholstering used sofas into a company known for our dedication to sustainability and innovative practices. In this feature, we share our rich heritage, values, sustainable practices, and certifications that have shaped our legacy and set us apart.
Sustainable Over 60 Years
Sustainability has always been integral to Luonto Furniture, reflecting our desire to do right by future generations. Our name “Luonto,” meaning “Nature” in Finnish, connects us to the environment. Three generations of the Viitala family have nurtured the company while staying true to our roots. We began by giving used sofas new life through reupholstering, embedding quality and repairability in our philosophy from the start. We believe these principles are fundamental to true sustainability.
Luonto Furniture utilizes local resources and partners with local artisans to minimize waste. For example, we repurpose wood dust from our saws into pellets used for heating our production lines, schools, and villages. This produces around six tons of pellets weekly, demonstrating our commitment to reducing waste. We also partner with local artisans to up-cycle scraps of fabrics and leathers into new products, reducing cutting waste as much as possible.
Certified Sourcing
We source all raw wood materials responsibly from FSC and PEFC certified forests and mills. Nordic spruce, native to Finland, is our primary wood. These forests are sustainably managed and harvested every 80 years, showcasing our long-term approach. We balance our impact on the environment with components like foam by sourcing strictly CertiPUR-EU certified foam – free of harmful additives. Our foam vendors pre-cut shapes, enabling them to reuse our cutting scraps for other projects, further lessening our waste of these materials.
Luonto Furniture holds numerous certifications like CertiPUR-EU, Oeko-Tex, FSC, and GRS. These certifications demonstrate our commitment to environmental responsibility and customer wellbeing. Our long-term vendor partnerships have been crucial for achieving sustainability goals by aligning materials to our values and vision.
Committed to Sustainably Innovating
We continuously expand our sustainability commitment while providing quality, repairable products. For example, our Ocean Collection is our newest upholstery collection with 100% Recycled Polyester fabrics, offers the opportunity to add an environmentally responsible cover to your next sofa, and with its GRS Certification, you can trust we mean what we say.
By staying true to our heritage and values, we hope to set an industry example, achieving the “Sustainability Sweet Spot.” As we look to the future, our dedication to quality, repairability and sustainability will continue shaping our identity and inspiring others to adopt similar practices.
In a world where environmental consciousness matters, we think our approach can serve as an inspiration for our industry. Through our practices, partnerships, and commitment to future generations, Luonto Furniture is crafting beautiful, functional furniture and a sustainable legacy.
