128 Many of the issues that suppliers are being asked to address have very wide ramifications and causes both up and down the supply chain. For this reason, the chance of success in moving towards sustainability is greater if suppliers can work together, for example in geographic clusters, as well as cooperating with other stakeholders to find solutions. Because they need to balance ensuring their products are manufactured in a sustainable way with maintaining the sustainability of the business itself, many suppliers are wary of fully committing to sustainable offerings whose future profitability is as yet untested. This can leave them vulnerable to accusations of greenwashing if they develop green ranges without addressing the sustainability deficits of their existing products. Suppliers can address this by adopting trusted certificates for their products (such as Cradle to Cradle) and fully supporting their greener offerings with warranty periods similar to those for current products. While waiting for sustainable interiors to become ‘industry standard’, suppliers should be constantly researching to source new sustainable products, components and systems. If there is demand from ship owners and operators, as well as those specifying interiors, this will drive innovation at the supplier level and lead to better results across the maritime interiors community. ADDRESS ING INDUSTRY I SSUES – “Actively ask suppliers for their sustainability plan, dare to ask suppliers to educate you. We need to have the tools to be able to spot the differences between products and make better choices.”
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NzQ1NTk=