#Sustainability Spotlight: Sunray Woodcraft

The Sunray Team, including Executive Director Mr Charles Tan, supporting the AMK Secondary School Goodie Bag & Bento Distribution Drive on 18 Dec 2022

Sunray’s Executive Director Charles Tan looks at sustainability from a 3P angle -- Planet, People and Prosperity, aka the Triple Bottom Line for businesses. To him, developing a more sustainability-centric business model is a very important direction that companies need to work towards. Although it may seem like a huge hurdle to go through at the start, Charles expresses that it is key for business leaders to increase the capacity of both their leadership and their staff to move towards more sustainable business models.

 

Evolving Sustainability at Sunray

Sustainability was initially driven by the founders of the family business — they have always had a strong inherent interest in both environmental and social sustainability, even during the earlier years when sustainability was heavily associated with higher business costs.

One particularly memorable sustainability project for Charles is their past operation to save about 1000 surplus coffee tables and coffee chairs respectively from their contract manufacturing client. They gave some of the furniture away to stakeholders who could put them to good use, and convinced one of their suppliers to take over a substantial proportion of them for their new hotel -- at cost price, after accounting for logistical costs.

As Sunray developed further as a company, the management team decided to start a proper corporate social responsibility (CSR) department to consolidate and share their sustainability initiatives with the public and their potential clients.

Since last year, Charles has also been keeping track of the ongoing discussions about decarbonisation in Singapore, particularly after DPM Heng’s announcement that Singapore will be moving towards net-zero by 2050. With carbon as an important starting point to quantify sustainability efforts, Charles highlights the need for businesses to simultaneously look at other aspects of environmental sustainability.

 

Developing More Holistic Sustainability Initiatives

Moving forward, Sunray will continue developing more holistic sustainability initiatives across the environmental, social and governance aspects, having recently established a new dedicated sustainability department and hired a sustainability in-charge.

The team is working on developing a code of conduct, which may include requirements for suppliers to not be involved in forced or child labour, to pay their employees non-discriminatory fair wages, and to have plans in place to minimise their water, energy and other resource consumption.

The Sunray Team, who plays a key role in making the company’s sustainability initiatives possible, at their 2022 Year-End Party

To fellow SFIC members who are at various stages of their sustainability journey, Charles would like to say, “At the end of the day, we live in this world and need to protect it. There’s so much that we shouldn’t do that we have done to the earth in our capitalist system, and hence so much we can and should do here to ameliorate our impact on society and the earth. With the Sunray team, I hope to contribute to a world that our future generations can be proud of!”

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The Sunray Building (Photo: DP Architects)

 

Introduction to Sunray Woodcraft Construction:

Founded in 1987 as a family-run, carpentry trade business, Sunray has grown to be Singapore’s Largest Interior Fit-out, Addition and Alteration works specialist today.

 

Website: https://www.sunray.com.sg/

Type of Furniture Company: Contract Manufacturing

Services: Interior Fit-out, Addition and Alteration

 

Sustainability Themes:

• Upcycling/ recycling, circular economy, waste reduction, energy management, community investment

 

Environmental Initiatives:

 

• Upcycling/Recycling:
  • Contributed upcycled/recycled wooden pallets, crates, floorboards, construction wood, cladding boards and fur boards to Sentosa
    • These made up for around 60% of the materials used in the 'Thomas Dambo's Giant Sculptures -- Explorers of Sentosa' in Sentosa's Palawan Beach in Dec 2022

Sunray contributed upcycled or recycled wood products to Sentosa to create Thomas Dambo’s Giant Sculptures

• Conducted a recycling drive at Sunray HQ and sites between 3-30 June 2022, in support of World Environment Day on 5 June

 

• Circular Economy:

  • Donated very lightly-used furniture to organisations like Teck Ghee Community Club and Rise Above Halfway House around Sep 2022, including:

  • 48x Sofas, 18x Coffee tables, 40x Balcony chairs, 16x Balcony tables & 3x Mirrors

Very lightly-used furniture, which Sunray donated to organisations like Teck Ghee Community Club and Rise Above Halfway House around Sep 2022

• Waste Reduction:
  • Avoids printing documents unless necessary

• Energy Management:
  • Participated in Earth Day (22 April 2022) by turning off their lights for an hour

 

Social Initiatives:

• 2023 Community Engagement:
• Distributed carepacks to less privileged residents in Bukit Panjang on 15 Jan 2023

The Sunray Team at the Bukit Panjang Carepack Distribution Drive on 18 Jan 2023

• 2022 Community Investments:
• Supported Dover Park Hospice in their fundraising efforts to finance their move to the Integrated Care Hub in 2023, and provide quality palliative care to patients

CEO Ms Connie Wu receiving a token of appreciation for Sunray’s donations to Dover Park Hospice, to finance their move to the Integrated Care Hub in 2023

• Donated to the North West Student Support Fund

CEO Ms Connie Wu receiving a token of appreciation from President Halimah Yacob for Sunray's donations to the North West Student Support Fund 2022

• Donated barely-used furniture to organisations like Teck Ghee Community Club and Rise Above Halfway House around Sep 2022, including 48x Sofas, 18x Coffee tables, 40x Balcony chairs, 16x Balcony tables & 3x Mirrors

• Supported Ang Mo Kio Secondary School Alumni to distribute goodie bags and bentos to residents at Ang Mo Kio on 18 Dec 2022

 

• Gender Inclusivity:
• Shows appreciation for female employees through an annual social media dedication post for International Women's Day

Sunray's Employee Appreciation Post on Social Media for International Women's Day 2023

All photos are courtesy of Sunray Woodcraft unless otherwise stated.

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