Transforming the furniture industry: an interview with Camille Cousté from Eco Impact

A click in the face of the limits of greenwashing

Before founding Eco Impact, its co-founders had already established a foothold in entrepreneurship committed through Très Écodesign, a project focused on responsible creation. But a pivotal moment pushes them to go further: the realization that too many distributors rely on labels that are not very rigorous, often more marketing than scientific.

“We had to do better. Too many empty labels, too much language without proof. It was this observation that led us to create Eco Impact.”

This new tool was then born out of a desire: to offer a reliable, legible, independent repository, to restore confidence to consumers, but also to brands.

Eco-responsibility: consumers sometimes... schizophrenic?

From design to supporting industrial players, Eco Impact has drawn a lot of lessons on the relationship between brands and their customers.

“We often talk about shoppers' schizophrenia: they ask for eco-friendly products but buy according to the price. That's true, but it depends on the sector.”

In BtoC, this tug of war remains strong. In BtoB, the dynamic is changing: companies are forced to act by law (AGEC, environmental accounting) and by employer brand issues.

But, according to Eco Impact, meeting these expectations requires three essential things:

• Give keys to understanding

It is impossible for a customer, even motivated, to assess the environmental impact of a piece of furniture simply with the naked eye. Data is complex, even a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) remains difficult to interpret.

“That's why we translate the results into scores (from A to E), with summary sheets. You have to make information understandable in order to change behavior.”

• Creating trust

According to a Goodvest survey (June 2023), 3 out of 4 French people do not believe in brands' environmental promises. Faced with distrust, an independent third party becomes a guarantee of seriousness, both for customers and for the brands themselves.

• Tell stories

Ecodesign should not be perceived as a constraint but as a narrative lever. Responsible design offers storytelling potential that is still little exploited: “Less but better”, ingenuity, circularity, all this evokes emotion and commitment.

What is still holding back businesses

Despite obvious progress, some companies remain resistant to eco-design. Why? For Eco Impact, two obstacles often come up: the economic model and mentalities.

• The myth of the “eco-friendly = more expensive” product

It is a received idea.

“Ecodesign is a matter of compromise. We adapt the solutions to the market, and if price is a decisive criterion, it is taken into account from the design stage.”

An ADEME survey confirms this: 30% of companies involved in eco-design notice an increase in their margins. Others are reporting increased sales.

• Ingrained preconceived ideas

“It's too complicated”: Wrong, there are adapted tools, even outside design offices.

“It's too expensive”: France is offering solid subsidies to support the transition.

“We've already thought about it”: Eco Impact often starts with this point... and always finds areas for optimization!

“Even at Hexagone, which is already very committed, we have identified more than 40 areas for improvement.”

Greenwashing: beware of false promises

Greenwashing remains omnipresent in furniture. A truly committed brand must go beyond attractive keywords: it must prove.

“It is no longer possible to say “ecological” or “low carbon” without providing the figures. You need impact calculations, a comprehensive LCA, and not just focused on carbon.”

Some brands have recently been singled out by the DGCCRF. Pedagogy then becomes a winning strategy, to inform customers and position themselves as an expert — far from simple price or deadline negotiations.

Hexagone: eco-design from the DNA

It is in this context that Hexagone stood out. Since the creation of the company, environmental impact has been integrated into the heart of the project.

“This committed positioning is still too rare. What particularly impressed us was how much the Hexagone teams took ownership of the subject.”

An iconic example: the Hexagreen upcycling program, which transforms used shelves into new products with high added value.

“It is both creative, aesthetic and very relevant from an environmental point of view. Why didn't anyone think of it before? ”

Coherence across the value chain

The analysis conducted by Eco Impact shows that Hexagone has been able to structure its approach at each stage of the life cycle:

• Materials: wood and steel from local loops, with fall control.
• Manufacturing: in France, with a carbon-free energy mix and 100% European sourcing.
• Transport: flat delivery to limit volumes.
• Durability: separable and repairable components, spare parts available (+23% lifespan on some products)

Result: 13 products evaluated by Eco Impact obtained an A grade, ranking among the 20% most responsible on the market.

“Hexagone is consistent on all axes of the Brezet wheel, the reference tool in eco-design.”

Experts' favorite furniture

On a personal level, the founders of Eco Impact had a few favorites in the Hexagone ranges:

For Camille Cousté: the Riviera armchair for its design, its comfort, and the intelligent use of materials. And in the French offer, the transformation of metal cabinets, a nod to years of furniture seen and reviewed.

For Grégoire Gérard: Prairie removable chairs, “A technical feat that really questions use and goes beyond simple recycled material.”

A tool for transformation

Finally, Eco Impact is not seen as a lever for sudden rupture, but as an accelerator of fluid transition.

“Radical changes don't last over time. We succeed when eco-design integrates naturally into existing processes.”

The Eco Impact approach follows a gradual staircase:

1. Change a subject
2. Change the design
3. Rethinking function
4. Reinventing the economic model

Jumping stairs? Bad idea. It is by building step by step that we reconcile impact, cost, and product attractiveness.

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Through its partnership with Hexagone, Eco Impact is showing that it is possible to do better, intelligently and sustainably. Responsible design should no longer be seen as a checkbox or an injunction, but as an opportunity: for transformation, for innovation, and for storytelling.

Hexagone understood this well. What if this approach became the norm rather than the exception?

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