Solidifing its place as a leader in circular solutions in the furniture industry, Cultivated was awarded the Best Stewardship Outcomes in Australia (SME) by the Product Stewardship Centre of Excellence.
Started in 2020 as a collaboration between the UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures, The Australian Industries Group, Dentsu Creative and the Australian Government - the Product Stewardship Centre of Excellence was established to help achieve best practice product stewardship for businesses, supporting Australia’s transition towards a circular economy. It provides practical support, mentoring and robust technical guidance to enable businesses to participate in product stewardship schemes and mainstream circular economy thinking in everyday business decisions.
As detailed by the Centre of Excellence, Product stewardship encompasses all facets of a product’s lifecycle, from design, durability and repairability, to effective consumer education, decarbonisation, using sustainable materials, eliminating hazardous materials, reuse, and increasing the amount of recycled content in new goods. Being a responsible product steward is not a new approach, but it certainly indicates that brands are increasingly taking greater environmental responsibility for their products.
Pictured: Cult Design founder, Richard Munao, and Cultivated Brand
Manager, Joshua Ellis
The awards program aims to celebrate outstanding achievements and innovative initiatives advancing the principles of product stewardship in Australia. At the awards night on the 2nd of November, Cultivated took home the 'Best Stewardship Outcomes (SME)' award and was acknowledged for its outstanding commitment to product stewardship in the furniture industry. It demonstrated strong circular design principals and showed how its effective product stewardship program was not only a sustainable operation, but could also support local manufacturing and skills. Other organisations recognised at the event included Signature Floors, Telstra and the Australia New Zealand Recycling Platform.
Product Stewardship Award 2023
The award itself was made in Sydney by Defy Design, who specialise in recycled plastic manufacturing. The design incorporates principals of product stewardship including the sustainable materials it's made from and the ability to be repaired and reused after it is broken apart.
Receiving the recognition from the Product Stewardship Centre of Excellence has been a highlight of Cultivated's 10 years in operation. It recognises the hard work in making Cultivated a sustainable business with social impact and acknowledges the market leading initiatives Cultivated is pursuing, such as the introduction of Digital Product Passports in 2024. For more information on the Product Stewardship Centre of Excellence, visit https://stewardshipexcellence.com.au/
