Background
sixteen3 Ltd is a Warrington-based designer and manufacturer of commercial furniture, supplying modular seating, tables and accessories to UK businesses. Founded in 2009, the company has grown steadily and now operates from a modern manufacturing facility in Woolston.
In 2023 sixteen3 produced their Sustainability Pledge, their commitment to creating a more sustainable future in which they outlined four core areas of focus:
- A Commitment to Considered Design
- A Commitment to Conscious Manufacturing
- A Commitment to Eco-Friendly Business Operations
- A Commitment to a Sustainable Future
Groundwork Support
As part of focus area three, sixteen3 wanted to better understand their carbon emissions and commissioned Groundwork to support them with this.
Groundwork’s Sustainability Consultants worked with key members of sixteen3’s team to identify priority emissions areas and calculated a carbon footprint assessment for 2023/24. This included:
- Scope 1 & 2 Carbon Footprint Calculation and Validation
- Scope 3 Carbon Footprint Calculation across identified categories:
- Employee commuting
- Business travel and mileage
- Purchased goods and services
- Water use and treatment
- Waste generated from operations
The outcome was a comprehensive Greenhouse Gas Inventory, providing a clear breakdown of emission sources along with tailored recommendations for carbon reduction.
Next Steps
Charles Bramwell, Product Designer at sixteen3 commented,
Working with Groundwork has allowed to really understand our emissions and identify which materials and processes can be improved to reduce our carbon footprint.
Moving forward sixteen3 plan to expand the monitoring of their Scope 3 emissions, allowing them to develop a long-term action plan and enable the business to target carbon reductions across its full value chain.