FedEx Express, a
subsidiary of FedEx Corp. and one of the world's largest express
transportation companies is collaborating with Filipino furniture designer
Trademark Kawpeng Designs (TMK), to breathe new life into discarded shipping
pallets in support of an emerging circular economy and finding ways to reduce
environmental impact.
A Manila-based
furniture and home decor start-up known for its unique made-to-order pieces
that embody Scandinavian minimalist functionality, TMK works closely with
clients in realizing their designs using various quality materials.
This arm table was developed by Trademark Kawpeng
Designs using upcycled wooden pallets donated by FedEx Express Philippines.
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| Wooden pallets donated by FedEx Express Philippines were used by Trademark Kawpeng Designs to develop this custom media console. |
For this special project with FedEx, TMK created sustainable furniture
by repurposing and upcycling wooden pallets from FedEx, which were used in the
shipment of items across the globe.
“FedEx has long been
committed and made significant progress to Reduce,
Replace, Revolutionize[1] throughout our operations to create a more sustainable
environment.” The use and demand of pallets used in supply
chain operations is projected to reach 6.4 billion units in 2024 with the
Asia Pacific region comprising about 40% of the entire pallet production,”
says John Peterson, managing director of FedEx Express Philippines. “We believe
that upcycling and repurposing are good ways to responsibly dispose of these
pallets and at the same time, contribute to our local communities by generating
income for our sustainability collaborators.”
To transform the
donated pallets, they were first cleaned, dried, sanded, and treated. TMK’s
Matti Kawpeng then crafted them into a collection of functional furniture,
including a study desk, an arm table, a side table, and a media console. The
rest were turned into useful crates and were marketed to TMK clients. Proceeds
were used to subsidize bicycles for TMK workers who were affected when public
transport stopped during the coronavirus lockdown.
As a social enterprise, TMK is committed to helping socially
disadvantaged workers, especially single and young parents. A portion of the sales
generated from donated materials are used for employees’ needs, such as their
daily uniforms, snacks, coffee, and maintenance of their bikes.
“We are constantly
eager to support sustainable initiatives that also allow for design creativity
and ingenuity. I am really pleased that the collaboration with FedEx Express
enables us to uphold this cause. It is a delight to be able to transform what
would have ended up as land-fill, into beautiful and functional pieces,” says
Matti Kawpeng, founder and furniture designer of TMK.
FedEx recently
announced an ambitious goal to achieve carbon neutral operations globally by
2040. To help reach this goal, FedEx is committing more than $2 billion to
support initiatives designed to make company operations more sustainable across
its fleet of motorized vehicles and aircraft, as well as its facilities. This
includes a pledge of $100 million to help establish the Yale Center for Natural
Carbon Capture in the United States and its applied research into methods of
sequestration at a scale that will offset the impact of long-haul
transportation.
Check out Trademark
Kawpeng Designs on
Facebook and @tmkawpeng.designs on Instagram for more awe-inspiring pieces
and design inspirations.
To learn more about ongoing
sustainability efforts at FedEx, visit sustainability.fedex.com.
