Sustainability in Handcrafted Furniture: Otzi’s practices and ambitions

Sustainability is a word that appears everywhere in design and manufacturing, but its meaning can be slippery. For us at Otzi, it’s a set of decisions we make every day in the workshop, from the materials we choose to the way we design, make, and finish each piece.

We haven’t yet formally measured our sustainability metrics (it’s on our to-do-list) but the below is what we are already doing. They are simple, tangible, and rooted in our belief that furniture should be made for the long term.

Locally Sourced Timber: Our timber is sourced from responsibly managed forests within the UK and milled locally. This reduces the carbon footprint associated with transportation and keeps the supply chain short, transparent, and accountable. Using local wood also means we are working with species that suit our climate and environment, making for a more sustainable and resilient resource.

Natural, Untreated Materials: Every material we use is chosen for its quality, longevity, and natural properties. We work only with natural materials—wood, leather, linen—that have not been chemically treated. This not only improves their end-of-life recyclability or compostability but also means our workshop and our customers’ homes are free from unnecessary toxins and volatile compounds.

Responsible Leather Sourcing: Most of our leathers are sourced from tanneries in the UK, with some selected leathers from Italy. We work only with high-quality leathers. Leather is a useful by-product of the food industry.

Minimal Waste and Creative Reuse: We treat materials with respect, using them to their fullest capacity. Leather offcuts are saved and repurposed into small goods such as key fobs, or as components in new designs. Timber waste is kept to a minimum—larger offcuts are used for smaller projects, sawdust is distributed to farms, and remaining pieces go to the local community for firewood. Almost nothing leaves the workshop as waste.

Made to Last and to Be Repaired: Perhaps the most sustainable choice we make is to design and build furniture that will last for generations. Every Otzi piece is built with durability in mind, and all components are repairable or replaceable. This means that in years (hopefully decades to come)  instead of discarding a damaged or worn item, it can be restored, keeping it in use and out of landfill.

Next steps: In the future, we aim to measure our carbon footprint, track the lifecycle of our materials more formally, and publish sustainability metrics for transparency. But for now, our approach is grounded in care for materials, for the people who make our pieces, and for the people who will live with them.