Leaving a green legacy your way
We all like to think that we do our bit to try and minimise the effect our lives have on the environment, but how about our deaths? Final Furniture is one company who are ensuring people can be as environmentally conscious in death as they are in life, with their TenderRest range of caskets
We all like to think that we do our bit to try and minimise the effect our lives have on the environment, but how about our deaths? Final Furniture is one company who are ensuring people can be as environmentally conscious in death as they are in life, with their TenderRest range of caskets. They’re also ensuring people can choose or design a casket that reflects a unique personality.
TenderRest caskets use New Zealand made solid board containing recycled newspaper pulp ‘paperboard’, bamboo ply and pine plywood from local Forest Stewardship Council Certified Forests. These materials ensure the caskets will decompose cleanly, so TenderRest caskets meet the objectives for clean cremation, burial or a natural burial.
Final Furniture was founded in 2007 by Andrew Hubbard who, as the kiwi practical hands-on sort, had mulled on the idea of starting the business for many years. Andrew’s family had made caskets for a number of family funerals which had evoked a great response.
Not only are TenderRest caskets environmentally friendly they are also strong, sustainable and extremely affordable. However this didn’t all happen overnight. “We had a couple of years of slow research and development (R&D) initially,” says Andrew. “Then in 2011 we had a concentrated R&D push to develop some really novel and cost effective materials and processes.”
During that time, the TenderRest team have also grown from one to five with Andrew’s partner Tamara Linnhoff a key player in the business as well as a dedicated team of three others.
“Grow Wellington has been invaluable to our development and growth,” says Tamara. “Advice on available R&D grant funding via Tech NZ was the key support that enabled us to develop our unique product range. They have also introduced us to our current business mentor, Rick Wells (of Formway Furniture design) - it's been a huge support to have an experienced and wise head as a sounding board with external objectivity.”
TenderRest have exported to Australia and Germany and have begun talks for design licensing to overseas counterparts. They are also looking to broaden awareness of the TenderRest options by reaching out to the general public. “A challenge is winning over the more traditional Funeral Directors,” says Tamara. “Most people choose a casket through their local Funeral Director, and whilst some Funeral Directors are very progressive, others are quite conservative about choices and change. Families are making choices at a very upsetting time, so are less likely to push for what they really want. So many times we’ve been told ‘I wish I’d known these were available when my family member passed away recently’”.
This is something TenderRest are looking to change. “We want to encourage the general public to think about the options ahead of time and to make their wishes known to their families,” says Andrew.
It is their personal touch and drive to innovate that has seen TenderRest recently named as a finalist in the Emerging Gold category for the Wellington Gold Awards. As TenderRest push the boundaries of what is considered to be an ‘eco casket’ by offering lower cost and beautiful looking options, more and more families are making a sustainable choice, a choice which enables their loved one to leave this earth a little better off.