Furniture lifetimes in a circular economy: a state of the art review

Furniture 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.