Flokk works together with Neste to create sustainable office in Singapore

Neste is the world’s largest producer of renewable diesel and jet fuel, pioneering techniques to create sustainable solutions that drastically reduce the impact that society has on the planet. In 2020, Neste was ranked among the top 3 most sustainable companies in the world for the third consecutive time on the Global 100 list by Corporate Knights.

The company sources waste and residues of raw materials and converts them into a range of renewable solutions for transport, business, and consumer needs enabling its customers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Speaking about their ambitions, Eero Ståhlberg, General Manager of Neste Asia Pacific says; “Our aim is to become a global leader in renewable and circular solutions. We are committed to supporting our customers to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20 million tons every year by 2030.”

Examples of their projects include working with fast-food chain McDonald's to recycle used cooking oil from French fries production to fuel their delivery trucks, reducing greenhouse emissions by up to 90% over the fuel’s lifecycle compared to traditional fuels. They also recently signed an agreement with All Nippon Airline (ANA) in Japan to supply their entire fleet with renewable aviation fuel, their first collaboration in Asia.

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Sustainable office space

Neste has high standards operating sustainably not just through renewable solutions they produce, but also in the way they conduct themselves across their whole company, including their office spaces. When Neste was establishing a presence in Singapore roughly 10 years ago, the company wanted to source environmentally friendly furniture for their office environments, which led them to Flokk, and the RH Logic.

Made from 50% recycled & 92% recyclable materials and built to last, the RH Logic was exactly what Neste was looking for in an office chair. Ten years on, they are still using them.

Juha-Matti Sillanpaa, the Project Manager for Neste Singapore office refurbishment project says; “The chairs are still in good condition with only minor wear and tear after 10 years of use. We decided to refurbish these chairs because they allow maximum comfort for end-users. At the same time, by applying maintenance services to these chairs, we can save the environment.”

With a recent significant expansion of Neste's operations in Singapore, Neste’s office environment needed an upgrade to allow new ways of working and to accommodate an increasing number of “Difference Makers”, how the firm describe their over 300 employees in Singapore.

RH Logic - Recycle, reuse

When it came to seating, Neste wanted to strike a balance between offering their Difference Makers a choice and making eco-friendly decisions. They also wanted to make sure that the wellbeing and performance of their staff were catered for. Different options were tested by end-users over a trial period, but the decision was unanimous – they wanted to keep their original chairs.

Contacting Flokk, Neste were able to rejuvenate their original fleet of over 70 chairs. After a consultation and fabric selection, each chair was brought in by Flokk and given a complete reupholstering, as well as a foam replacement where needed and a complete service, replacing any worn components. Each chair was certified with another 10-year warranty, despite a majority of it being 10 years old already.

Where new chairs are required, Neste will supplement existing chairs with additional RH Logic 400s, to ensure a seamless interior aesthetic. And with the complete refurbishment of the existing chairs, users won't be able to tell the difference between a new and an old chair.

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As a firm dedicated to reusing waste, the old fabrics and foam have been salvaged and will be used in forthcoming collaborations between Flokk & Neste.

“10-year-old chairs show how durable the RH Logic is and with the availability of maintenance and spare parts for another 10 years, it gave us the confidence to go ahead with the refurbishment to achieve sustainability and staff satisfaction by further enhancing our healthy work environment," added Juha-Matti, "We are happy to see Flokk established here in Singapore, enhancing our knowledge on how to upkeep the condition of our chairs to achieve sustainability. We are certain we made the right choice and trust in support from Flokk for many years to come.”

Many thanks to Juha Matti Sillanpaa and all of his team over at Neste for their great work in bringing this collaboration to life with Flokk, creating a positive sustainable impact.

Find out more about RH & sustainable seating solutions

RH New Logic

Launched in 2019, the RH New Logic is our most sustainable chair to date, made from 62% recycled materials. A chair that merges characteristic comfort and first-class ergonomics with improved features and accessibility to enhance user-experience, the RH New Logic sets a new benchmark in sustainably designed seating without compromise on performance.

Click here to find out more