HAWORTH’S CLOSED-LOOP MANUFACTURING PROCESS FOR FERN RECOGNIZED BY FAST COMPANY

September 15, 2025 - Haworth's closed-loop manufacturing process for the plastic in Fern ergonomic office chairs, a first in the furniture industry, received Honorable Mention in the 2025 Fast Company's Innovation by Design Awards.

The Haworth Fern Honorable Mention is in the sustainability category of Fast Company Innovation by Design Awards. This category honors projects that use inventive design to meaningfully reduce harm to the environment.

Innovation by Design Award projects are a reminder that beauty and functionality are integral ingredients of true innovation. These Fast Company awards honor the people and companies who are pushing the boundaries of design with products and projects that make our world a better and more interesting place. This year's winners span design disciplines - every application submitted to the Innovation by Design Awards is a window into the world's most interesting problems.

While using post-industrial materials isn't unique, Haworth's process is a true closed-loop innovation - plastic generated during the production of Fern and recycled from end-of-life chairs is used to create new chairs without losing value and utility. This reduces waste and raw material usage while saving energy. Haworth partnered with Royal Technologies and PADNOS on this achievement. The closed-loop process is for North American manufactured Fern chairs in black plastic.

Closed-loop materials reduce the embodied carbon of the component and product, which makes progress toward Haworth's circular economy and net zero goals. Haworth is on a continuous sustainability journey - this process will be used as best practice for the seating portfolio, as well as additional pieces, products and material options.

Fern is manufactured in a zero landfill, ISO 9001 and 14001 certified facility and can be easily disassembled at the end of its useful life. This product is designed to endure and is made of long-lasting, high-quality materials. Fern's Product Environmental Data Sheet is downloadable here and here on Ecomedes.

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Haworth believes great spaces empower people to thrive and work their best. As a leading global furniture maker, the company partners with customers, dealers and influencers to create spaces that result in effective people and efficient real estate. Haworth's customer-first approach comes from an entrepreneurial spirit, design-forward thinking and multicultural perspectives. Founded in 1948, Haworth is a privately-owned company operating in more than 150 countries through a global network of 400 dealers and 8,000 employees. Headquartered in Holland, Michigan, U.S.A., the company has sales of $2.57 billion USD.