Etoile: a “tailored” approach to sustainability

Interview with consultant Francesco Baldoni on the CAM standards adopted by Etoile: criteria, checks, and operational advantages for the market

Etoile has recently defined its internal rules to certify compliance with the Minimum Environmental Criteria (CAM) for interior furnishings — an essential requirement for accessing the public procurement market, which is increasingly driven by sustainability goals.
These are mandatory environmental requirements established by the Ministry for the Environment which, under the new Public Procurement Code, must be included in tenders for the full value of the contract. They are no longer a recommendation, but a binding rule that is reshaping public demand.

For interior furnishings, Ministerial Decree 23/06/2022 requires full transparency throughout the entire product life cycle. Technical documents, certifications, and test reports are needed to demonstrate sustainable choices that are objective and verifiable.
In terms of materials, the Minimum Environmental Criteria (CAM) specify, for example, that aluminum must indicate the percentage of recycled content and, where applicable, the presence of a certified EPD; that glass must detail its composition and recovery scenarios; that wood must ensure the quality of recycled material, low indoor emissions, and an FSC or PEFC chain of custody; and that plastics should preferably come from recycled or certified renewable sources. Even packaging must be designed for reuse or recycling and accompanied by appropriate documentation.

The technical requirements promote eco-design: ease of disassembly and maintainability are set as prerequisites, durability must be documented, and end-of-life guidance for materials is required, along with the protection of indoor air quality through emission limits applied to wood and components. Contractual clauses complete the framework, covering the availability of spare parts, maintenance services, and packaging take-back. From an evidence standpoint, the procedure results in technical dossiers — organized collections of Safety Data Sheets, test reports, material compliance declarations, and, where available, Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) — as well as material balance sheets for each product or project. In addition, reward criteria assign value to organizational certifications such as ISO 14001 and EMAS.

In this context, the Etoile Unica, Ritmica, and Metrica partition wall systems fall under the scope of the CAM as non-load-bearing modular interior partitions. For the Quadra family (equipped walls and storage units), the criteria applied to storage furniture are also relevant. Today, these product lines fully comply with the mandatory requirements of Ministerial Decree 23/06/2022, ensuring transparency across the supply chain and reliability for public contracting authorities. To better understand the process and its benefits, we spoke with Dr. Francesco Baldoni (PhD in Industrial Chemistry) from Esalex srl, the consulting firm that supported Etoile in achieving CAM compliance certification.

1. Baldoni, let’s start with the basics: what are the Minimum Environmental Criteria (CAM) and why have they become so important for companies in the furniture sector?

The Minimum Environmental Criteria (CAM) are environmental requirements defined by the MASE (formerly the Ministry of the Environment). Their purpose is to identify products widely used by public administrations that have specific environmental characteristics, established through dedicated studies analyzing the most relevant aspects from a life-cycle perspective. These studies have therefore considered all stages of the product’s life: the upstream phase, which includes the environmental impacts of raw material production; the core phase, referring to the impacts generated within the manufacturing facilities; and the downstream phase, which involves the distribution, use, reuse, recovery, recycling, and eventual disposal of materials. In the furniture sector, a specific CAM is defined by the Ministerial Decree of June 23, 2022, whose requirements must be met for all supplies destined for public entities.

2. Etoile produces partition walls and office furniture systems. What have been the most challenging aspects in demonstrating the compliance of these products with the CAM requirements?

There’s no doubt that, the most complex aspect has been managing the supply chain.
Today’s world is globalized, and every product originates from a production chain — a network of suppliers, often spread across different parts of the world, all working to ensure that the final product meets the characteristics promised to the customer. This reality requires effective and timely collaboration in managing all material-related information, as these documents are an essential part of the finished product delivered to the client. The same applies to Etoile, with the added challenge that engaging suppliers within this production chain can be difficult. Many of them are still unaware of the value and importance of the environmental requirements requested for raw material supplies — and, consequently, of the documentation needed to certify certain performances in a clear and verifiable way.

3. The work carried out required an in-depth analysis of the materials used — from aluminum to glass, from wood to plastic. What are the main requirements that these materials must meet?

For each component, it is necessary to declare the percentage of virgin, recycled, and by-product material, although a minimum content is specifically defined only for plastics — and only when the final product contains at least 20% plastic. For wood, in particular, test reports are required, using specific methods to verify compliance with emission limits, as well as certifications that ensure both the recycled content and the sustainability of the supply chain. Packaging must also meet specific requirements regarding recycled content and recyclability, which must be demonstrable through appropriate certifications. It is also necessary to specify whether the product holds environmental certifications such as EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) or Remade in Italy, even though these are not mandatory for all components.

4. Now that Etoile has completed this process, what concrete advantages can it offer its clients, particularly public administrations?

Etoile has now established a systematic procedure that connects its products supplied to public administrations with its supply chain. This allows the company, from now on, to respond with confidence and reliability to customer requests — particularly from public administrations — regarding the CAM compliance of interior furnishings.

At the same time, public administrations can, through their Green Public Procurement (GPP) policies, help activate that segment of the market made up of companies that have the willingness and expertise to innovate — designing and offering products that truly benefit everyone, including the planet we live on, which increasingly demands sustainable choices.