An Interview with Hans-Peter Becker
Managing Director, Wilkhahn UK

Could you give some background information on Wilkhahn?
The Wilkhahn Group is a medium-sized family owned company, with its headquarters near Hanover in north Germany. The company manufactures and distributes a range of office seating and tables. We have approximately 500 employees in Germany. The company has its main factory in Germany and covers the European market through subsidiaries or sales offices; a second factory is located in Spain. Wilkhahn has licensed partners worldwide in the U.S., Australia, South Africa, Brazil and Japan.

Fritz Hahn, the founder's son, still acts as the grandfather figure, monitoring and promoting the ethic of fairness and honesty throughout the business. An important component of this ethic is that ecology is an integral part of corporate policy and not a 'bolt-on'. This approach has been embedded in the firm since the 1950s, with an industrial design philosophy of simplicity, longevity and non-wastefulness.

What are the key characteristics of Wilkhahn's eco-controlling systems?
The major reason behind establishing the eco-controlling system was to integrate ecological management within the structure of the company. In effect, it has been practised since the 1960s but in an un-written trial and error manner. For example, Wilkhahn stopped using tropical hardwoods over thirty years ago because we did not wish to participate in the destruction of tropical rainforests. The same results can be produced using woods from European forests, stained in a mahongany or teak colour. We have fueled our heating system using waste wood chips for many years.

In 1992, the Eco-controlling project was launched. We decided to look at the company as an ecological system - this basically meant examining what went into the company, what happened inside it, and what went out. The company established an inventory of materials and set up a database. Then we contacted our sub-contractors to establish what materials and processes they used and which ones were environmentally benign.

In parallel we developed an 'A', 'B', 'C' system - where 'A' was an ecological problem product and 'B' or 'C' products were ecologically neutral or harmless. As a result, ecological factors have become a major criteria for the selection of core suppliers. Wilkhahn is developing relationships with suppliers who will remanufacture, recycle or dispose of our products in an ecologically benign manner.

Then we began to look at the manufacturing operations, and decided to undertake an input/output analysis. This meant examining our product, distribution systems, packaging, wastes and emissions. The aim was to highlight the ecological weaknesses in the company. For example, we focused on minimising packaging waste and introduced a reusable packaging system. All products which are not delivered in cardboard boxes are covered in polyethylene dust sheets or wrapped in blankets. The cardboard boxes are re-used many times and then recycled. The polyethylene sheets are pressed into bales and then recycled into new film. This new system was given a special award in 1995 by the Industry Design Forum, Hanover, Germany.

An essential element is educating and involving staff. Wilkhahn believes that ecological change is not something that sould be dictated from the top, but undertaken and acted upon by employees. Employees can only take environmental steps when it relates to their work. Employees are much more committed when they are clearer about the results of their actions, instead of hearing vague policy statements from senior management.

This is why we set up three working groups covering: One of the benefits of these groups is they are interdisciplinary. For example, employees from the design, marketing, adminstration and personnel departments might discuss solutions to waste problems. Another important attribute to raising the profile of ecology within the company is the 'Environmental Forum', a permanent meeting place where employees are informed about ecological matters. The service also has a telephone eco-helpline.

As a result of our materials research we have established an ecological chart of accounts, which breaks down all the inputs (raw materials from suppliers or manufacturing materials) and outputs (products, spare parts, emissions, wastes, etc.). From 1993, Wilkhahn has produced eco-balance sheets which detail information on the flow of materials and energy within the company. This includes the consumption of energy and water, materials, fuels and additives, the use of transport and travel as well as by-products such as materials and spent air.

To what extent does Wilkhahn market and advertise their ecological commitments and products?
Wilkhahn has a rather ambivalent attitude towward marketing its environmental credentials, as we regard ecology as an integral part of the company's culture and identity and not a means to enhance our corporate image. Whilst our brochures contain ecological descriptions of the materials used in products, we do not include ecology in our marketing and advertising strategy. Considering the public's scepticism over corporate environmentalism, the inclusion of 'green' messages and images would probably have a counter-productive effect.

Could you describe the role of your 'Innovation and Ecology' department within Wilkhahn's corporate environmental strategy?
The 'Innovation and Ecology' department was set up to formulate and implement the eco-controlling system. Now that the system has been established it acts as an ecological 'think tank' working at a range of organisational levels, within and across all departments.

Our ecological principles have the same importance as our design philosophy and runs throughout the whole company. In 1989, it was both the management and the Workers Council who issued a document that assigned ecological aspects a higher value and goal than making a quick profit. This statement gave me, as Managing Director of a subsidiary, the right to say to a potential customer, who might be one of the largest polluters in a particular country - that Wilkhahn does not want to do business with them. We are very serious about our environmental commitment.

How is eco-design organised within your company?
Eco-design is a fully integrated part of our product development process. Our internal design department became so successful that it was developed into an independent design consultancy called 'Wiege', which works closely with our in-house Product management department. The procedure is that Wilkhahn invites them along with other design companies to tender for our business. This Product management department is also responsible for all ecological design activities.

Before we extended our ecological thinking, the two major criteria in designing a product were 'form' and 'function'. With our ecological responsibility came the third criterion of 'ecological accountability'. We have put a lot of effort and investment into reducing the harmful impacts of our products.

In 1996, the company introduced an ecological checklist for product development to ensure that products are kept simple, that longevity is maximised, materials are reusable and the design has long-term appeal. When we say that a product should last 10-15 years, we mean this not just as an ecological or quality issue but also aesthetically. We never make fashionable products. Products should also produce low emissions, be low on maintenance and easy to repair.

A design brief has to be right from the beginning and include all these principles. At Wilkhahn, it has lead to abandoning a product in the middle of development due to the solution being ecologically unsound. If a process or material is harmful, the designers have to resolve the negative impact or rethink the design completely.

Please tell me about the development of your 95% recyclable chair -'Picto"?
We found that if you design an eco-friendlier product and use less harmful materials, this demands a much more intelligent approach to the design of a product because the quality of the engineering may neutralise the higher costs of more expensive benign materials - 'less is more'. The lessons learned from developing the Picto chair have given the company a stronger base for future developments. For example, we have a produced called Modus - an office chair- where we have applied the 'less is more' concept - the chair no longer has a back shell, foam body and fabric, just an elastic self supporting stretch fabric.

We have always tried not to copy product trends. 15 years ago, the trend was to produce chairs with elaborate mechanisms which had knobs, levers and other functions. You required a driving license to operate one. We ignored this approach and designed a chair with one lever and one tension control that adapted to the user's needs - this is all the sitter really requires. We are now concerned with quantum leaps in thinking and in introducing new products and systems of mobile furniture for mobile working environments - systems for multi-purpose use.

What do you consider to be the characteristics of a more sustainable enterprise?
Wilkhahn has never considered ecology to be an isolated issue. This extends from our 'less is more' design philosophy, to the choice and selection of materials, to our social commitment. The Wilkhahn triangle of design, ecology and social fairness.

Fritz Hahn, the company's founder, was not happy that as a privately owned company only the family received the profits. In the late 1970s, he implemented a profit-sharing scheme, whereby 50% of the company's profits each year are shared between the owners and the employees.

THe head of the Workers Council is also a full member of the Admistrative Board. This means if Wilkhahn decides, for example, to shift parts of its manufacturing to another country the decision is taken jointly between board members and the head of the Workers Council. This fairness, co-operation and honesty applies to both materials and design, as well as the way we work and communicate with each other - inside and outside the company. We still think it is possible to do honourable business.

from Journal of Sustainable Design