Cooper et al-2021_Furniture lifetimes in a circular economy.pdf (171.79 kB)
Furniture lifetimes in a circular economy: a state of the art review
conference contribution
posted on 2021-06-16, 08:15 authored by Tim. Cooper, J. Kaner, K. Furmston, A. CuttsFurniture accounts for a high proportion of bulky waste and has a substantial environmental
impact, yet has been largely neglected in academic debate on product longevity. Recent estimates
suggest that each year around 10 million tonnes of furniture are discarded annually in Europe. Much is
unduly short-lived and a mere 10% is recycled. Evidence points to the use of low quality materials and
poor design as primary obstacles to a circular economy in furniture. Such practices reduce durability
and repairability and restrict the potential for reuse. Business models in the sector tend to favour
relatively short product lifetimes to secure replacement sales, while a lack of incentives and an
inadequate take-back infrastructure inhibit reuse. This paper presents the key findings from a
systematic literature review undertaken to identify the current state of knowledge concerning furniture
longevity. It explores and assesses furniture design and manufacture, maintenance, repair, and reuse,
and considers the influence of market and regulatory conditions upon furniture longevity.
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4th PLATE 2021 Virtual Conference, 26-28 May 2021;Note
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