Respect the Next! Sustainability in practice at ADA
94% waste utilisation, 31,463 kg less CO2 per year and 100% green electricity – that’s just a brief overview of ADA’s sustainability assessment.
“Respect the Next!”: Our credo expresses a commitment to sustainability that goes beyond pure furniture production. We take responsibility for the region, for our employees and for the future of generations to come. To prove that we mean what we say, we collected facts for our headquarters in Anger. Summarised in a sustainability report, they clearly delineate ADA’s green path.
Sustainability report published
With our sustainability report, we have taken the first major step. Michaela Schreibmeier is both a business development manager and a sustainability consultant. Last year, she worked intensively with our headquarters in Anger. For the first time, values were collected that bring ADA’s activities into focus, demonstrating our will to remain transparent and measurable in the future. The complete analysis is summarised in the ADA Sustainability Report. After all, it is only with the data underlying our activities that we can improve and achieve further goals.
Facts and figures:
- 0% fossil fuels
- 94% waste utilisation (61% recycling, 33% energy generation)
- 100% green electricity
- Zero-waste concept with Saubermacher in Austria
- 214 tonnes of resources and 31,463 kg less CO2 thanks to the recycling of packaging in cooperation with Interseroh in Germany
- Wood purchasing with a focus on Europe (Austria, Hungary)
- Natural oils from climate-neutral suppliers of wood elements
- Water-based adhesives
- Own water source for the furniture factory
- Majority of electric cars in the company fleet
- Diversity: 2,250 employees, 15 nationalities, 4 generations, 60-year age difference across the group
- Promotion of youth and culture in the region
- Biotope with beaver family within the factory premises
ADA furniture production: A conscious decision
65 years of experience, craftsmanship and furniture expertise. That’s what ADA stands for. But 6 decades of experience are no accident. It takes a lot of hard work to get there.
“We exchange ideas with our employees. After all, it is only with company-wide cooperation that we can integrate sustainable behaviour into the entire value chain. Every individual is important, as is every work step. Whatever we can do ourselves, we do it. Right from the start. Be it an idea from one of our designers or our in-house wood processing. We also cut the foam for the sofas, beds and mattresses in-house. Our upholsterers then take the prepared wooden frames and take care of the upholstery. This way, we create a new sofa or bed step by step. After the final quality check, the furniture is packed in-house to ensure that it arrives at the dealer undamaged. ADA furniture is characterised above all by its durability and give people long-lasting companions”, emphasises ADA CEO Gerhard Vorraber.
The Austrian-produced furniture is now the proud bearer of 9 different seals. These include the Austria quality label, the Golden M, the DGM Climate Pact and the Oeko-Tex certificate. Independently of each other, these seals all indicate our reliance on non-toxic materials and our commitment to the environment.
What does “resource-saving production” mean?
“At ADA, we only start producing furniture once we receive an order. As we don’t produce merely to build up stock, we only use the material that is actually needed for the orders at hand”, explains ADA CEO Michael Wibmer.
Of course, production also generates waste. That’s unavoidable. For this reason, we are working with Saubermacher to develop a zero-waste concept in line with the motto “reduce, replace and recycle”. We currently utilise 94% of our waste: 33% for energy generation and 61% for recycling.
Sustainable management: 100% green electricity, 0% fossil fuels
Verena Inschlag (ADA PR & Media Manager) in conversation with Michaela Schreibmeier (business development manager & sustainability consultant for ADA)
Michaela Schreibmeier, sustainability consultant for ADA, has also recognised the fact that the traditional Austrian company has already adopted the right mindset: “The reuse of foam pieces has been common practice here for a long time, as has the purchase of 100% green electricity. To heat their headquarters in Anger, the company exclusively uses wood in the shape of pellets, wood chips and wood waste generated in-house. That means 0% fossil fuels. ADA’s carbon footprint is in the 5-digit range. In a cross-industrial comparison, that’s rather good. Other industries register 6-digit values.”
Focus on people
The ADA was founded in Anger, Austria more than 65 years ago. And it was made to stay. We made a conscious decision to stick to our roots in Eastern Styria and to dedicate ourselves to the long-term preservation of this region. For us, sustainability also means supporting people, whether within the company or the region. With 15 nationalities, 4 generations and an age difference of more than 60 years across the group: it’s plain to see that diversity isn’t just an operating figure for us, but a practised corporate culture. As are equal opportunities: whether male or female – our focus is on people and their individual abilities. “We are convinced that diversity in the workforce also promotes innovative thinking. Different perspectives are required to empathise with others and for mutual understanding. The feeling of being valued and part of the team is an important part of our corporate culture”, says ADA CEO Michael Wibmer.
In addition to our workforce, we also support people in the region. Whether through cultural events, sporting events or youth development initiatives, we as one of the largest employers in the region recognise the value of promoting a lively and vibrant place to live. And not only do people feel at home in Anger, but also animals – as shown by the beaver family that calls the biotope at the ADA factory premises its home.