Exploring sustainable design with Vestre's Jan-Hendrik Schülter
The conversation around climate change touches many parts of our daily life from the food we consume, to the way we work, to the furniture we sit on. While major companies and governments around the world are racing to reach net zero by 2050, what does present action look like to those aiming to reach this goal by 2030?
Plantclub partner Vestre, a Norwegian manufacturer of street furniture, is leading the way when it comes to eco-conscious design. We sat down with Sales Manager Jan-Hendrik Schülter to discuss their goals of reaching net zero by 2030, promoting sustainability through partnerships, and how everyone can save the world “at least a bit.”
Vestre street furniture in Sandvika center, Bærum, Norway. Photo courtesy of Vestre
Visions and values
With a background in landscape architecture, Jan-Hendrik found himself aligning with Vestre for their similar environmental goals and values.
Though he is all too aware that net zero by 2030 is a hard goal to achieve for any company, he speaks confidently of the track they’ve been following. Adopting several of the United Nations’ sustainability goals, he sees a clear path toward a future of zero waste design.
“At the moment, our production takes place at the most sustainable factory in the world for furniture. While steel and wood are not the most sustainable resources, we aim to produce something that can live nearly forever.”
HILL litter bin by Vestre. Photo courtesy of Vestre
Circularity in practice
From Times Square in New York City to Bergmannstraße in Berlin, Vestre’s colorful and eye-catching outdoor furniture can be seen on display all over the world. The company keeps in mind the short-lived nature of trends and offers an alternative to the common practice of design turnover.
Vestre is committed to now allowing their pieces to go to waste. If the city of Berlin in 20 or 30 years decides to revamp facets of their outdoor design, Vestre offers a free collection of their furniture. Their pieces will then be taken back to their production site, refurbished, and reused elsewhere. In the future, they plan on expanding their QR code system, which allows viewers to open the history of any piece of furniture and see where it has been used in the past. Vestre is also working with the world’s first fossil fuel-free steel from SSAB.
Vestre in Times Square, New York City. Photos courtesy of Vestre
On partnerships and community
Jan-Hendrik stresses the importance he sees in building up a community of businesses with like-minded practices. Reflecting on how Vestre came to build a partnership with Plantclub, he spoke on projects such as our work with Contentful and how a relationship with toitoitoi led to a network of sustainable design authorities being formed.
“In our future world, one thing that could be necessary is businesses helping each other. I recommend toitoitoi to everyone because I saw their work at Contentful and know that they are very straightforward and clear and bring a point to every detail. We are there for them and they are there for us.”
Aesthetics and sustainability
Vestre is equally known worldwide for their Nordic design and craftsmanship and their functional aesthetics. Equipped with a sustainability manager, a vast color palette geared towards timeless customizations, and over 50 designers with clear-cut aesthetics, pieces from Vestre are here to stay, even if not in just one place.
“The main goal is to fit our design ideas into our philosophy. We have a design language for each product and it is something that is recognizable and influential. I can see in the future, a continuing interest in Scandinavian design.”
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