L002: Why Longevity Might Be The Most Important Sustainability Metric
When we talk about sustainability, the conversation often starts with what something is made from. Perhaps we should also be asking questions around durability and how long it will last.
Airport seating operates in an exceptionally demanding environment. High passenger volumes, repeated luggage impacts, intensive cleaning regimes and near-continuous use all place significant demands on the products within a terminal.
A seating system that can remain operational for decades and be easily maintained, refinished or upgraded rather than replaced, has the potential to reduce the need for new materials, manufacturing and transportation while also delivering a lower lifetime cost of ownership for the airport. As a business, we are currently seeing the value of that philosophy first-hand.
For Zoeftig, this is why longevity has always been one of our fundamental design principles.
At various airports across North America, Zoeftig seating structures installed in the region of 20-30 years ago are being retained and refinished rather than discarded and replaced. Twenty to Thirty years of passengers using our seating daily, yet the fundamental structures still have many more years of value left in them. Material choice plays an important role in making this possible, but longevity isn’t achieved through this one factor alone. Products need to be designed from the outset to be maintained and adapted. Components that experience greater wear should be replaceable without requiring the entire seating system to be removed.
For airports, this changes the conversation from initial purchase price to whole-life value and cost of ownership. At Zoeftig, we believe sustainability shouldn’t only be about designing the next generation of airport seating – sometimes, it’s about making sure the last generation is still doing its job.
If you’re reviewing an existing suite of seating, our team can help explore whether refurbishment, upgrading or replacement offers the right long-term solution for your space.
Image: Copyright Zoeftig 2024, Denver International Airport | 7000+ Zenky Plus Seats with 100% Boost Power Saturation in bespoke material specification.