Supporting sustainability and conscious consumer behavior are core aspects that we have incorporated into our company from the very beginning. Before we founded the MAGNA Atelier, it was clear to us that we did not want to be one of many companies that mass-produce something soullessly and purely profit-oriented, which is then sold cheaply to consumers in this country at the expense of the quality of life and health of cheap workers from developing countries . We also don’t want to take part in “greenwashing”, but rather really change something and be an active part of the change. 

At some point, the seemingly endless cycle of mass production and our throwaway society must come to an end. With the MAGNA Atelier, we would like to produce heart-warming pieces that have a special place and significance in our customers' homes (and in their hearts). Ideally, our unique pieces made of natural stone and glass ceramic should even last for generations as heirlooms.

That's all well and good, of course, but how exactly do we as furniture producers protect the environment and how do we make our company sustainable?

We would therefore like to go into this in more detail.

The MAGNA Atelier wants to break the toxic cycle. Our production in Germany places immense value on sustainable and environmentally conscious manufacturing processes.

We therefore generate most of the energy required for production with our own solar systems. We also have a water treatment plant with which we recycle the water used several times. We produce our furniture locally and partly by hand in Saxony-Anhalt. Since not all of our natural stones come from Germany or the surrounding area, we are of course aware that, despite our optimized and environmentally friendly production processes in Germany, we inevitably leave an ecological footprint.

In the long term, we aim for our supply chains to be largely implemented using electronic vehicles, but the market is currently lagging behind. That's why we've looked for a partner in Greenspark who will help us offset our emissions as best as possible in the meantime. 

We offset the CO₂ emissions of every order with our partner Greenspark by planting trees, removing plastic bottles from the oceans and supporting other projects that actively protect the environment and specifically cure threatened habitats. Here you can see the positive impact on the environment that we have already achieved with Greenspark. The MAGNA Atelier is offsetting its ecological footprint .

But does it really help to “simply plant a tree” and can you protect the climate and the environment in the process? The answer is yes and no. As some of you may have heard before, when choosing such projects you have to pay close attention to whether they are properly thought out and professionally carried out by experts.

Otherwise, these types of projects can even harm the environment. 

If, for example, only one type of tree is planted in reforestation projects, a monoculture is created. This reduces biodiversity and restricts the habitat for other animal and plant species. Meanwhile, non-native tree species can displace native species and disrupt the ecological balance. The introduction of water-requiring trees into areas with limited water supplies can also lead to competition for water and further strain already strained water resources.

So we see – reforestation and environmental protection are not that easy to implement, but have to be carefully thought through. That's why we looked for a partner we can trust.

Greenspark – Who are they and how do they help us?

In the graphic above you can see how many tonnes of CO₂ we have already offset with Greenspark, how many trees have been planted with our help and how many plastic bottles we have removed from the sea to date.

Greenspark was founded on the belief that business as usual is simply no longer sustainable. That's why Greenspark was created as a platform to help companies put them on the path to sustainability. Greenspark enables companies, big and small, to have a positive impact on people, communities, animals and the environment in seconds and in an automated way.

The MAGNA Atelier supports these projects with the help of Greenspark

Plastic Bank – Coastal communities collect plastic 

“Collect plastic, not shells” – Plastic pollution is one of the biggest threats to our oceans and marine life. The United Nations estimates that 8 million tons of plastic waste ends up in waterways every year. If we continue to use and dispose of single-use plastics at this rate, there could be more plastic in our oceans than fish by 2050. 

Plastic Bank® builds ethical recycling ecosystems in coastal communities while creating positive economic opportunities for those who help collect plastic. 

Eden Reforestation Project – Native forests around the world

Our natural world is critical to human survival. Yet almost 75% of our Earth's surface has already been altered and degraded by human activities, threatening our ecosystems and biodiversity. Widespread deforestation of rainforests not only harms wildlife, but also threatens the ability of indigenous communities to live sustainably from their dwindling natural resources.

The Eden Reforestation Projects are committed to combating environmentally damaging deforestation. Local communities suffering from poverty and unemployment are employed to plant trees and the forests are reforested with native tree species.

Over 500 million trees, taking biodiversity and native tree species into account, have already been planted through this project in Madagascar, Haiti, Nepal, Indonesia, Mozambique, Kenya, Nicaragua and Honduras. 

UN Project 9933 - Environmentally friendly cooking in Malawi

The World Health Organization estimates that over 3 billion people in low- and middle-income countries rely on energy-inefficient solid fuels such as wood, charcoal, coal, animal dung and crop waste for cooking or heating. This is extremely damaging to air quality and releases greenhouse gases into the environment.

UN Project 9933 is helping rural households in Malawi switch from traditional three-stone cooking fires to energy-efficient cookstoves or “Changu Changu Motos,” which prevent fossil fuel gases from entering the atmosphere. 

UN Project 7980 - Clean Energy in the Philippines

Producing the electricity that powers our homes, offices, factories and agriculture produces the second largest share of greenhouse gas emissions in the world. Approximately 84% of the world's energy comes from burning fossil fuels such as coal in power plants.

The UN-supported Burgos Wind project is helping to counteract these negative environmental impacts by providing the Philippines with a source of clean, renewable energy and stable jobs for local communities. 

UN Project 6848 - Clean Energy in Chile

The Chacayes hydroelectric power station feeds into Chile's main electrical grid. By supplying the main grid with clean energy as opposed to traditional fossil fuels, this project is estimated to reduce greenhouse gas pollution by over 340,000 tons each year. (For comparison, this is roughly equivalent to the annual emissions of 52,000 British citizens.)

The Chacayes hydroelectric project not only provides clean energy, but also contributes to the economic development of the region by providing important infrastructure such as roads and access routes.

During the construction phase, the project directly employed 2,000 people and indirectly over 3,000. 

Being sustainable as a company is an ongoing process

As a young company, we know that we have to constantly work to live sustainability. Walking the tightrope between productivity, profitability and environmental friendliness is by no means a walk in the park, but we accept the challenge.

We want to make our passion for producing sustainable, unique designs from natural stone in all possible colors and shapes as environmentally friendly and sustainable as possible. Giving our customers a very special joy when their new table or design object arrives at their home is worth the effort for us!